{"id":332320,"date":"2026-06-11T15:41:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T15:41:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/332320\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T15:41:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T15:41:21","slug":"episd-employees-facing-layoffs-get-notices-union-leaders-warn-against-resigning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/332320\/","title":{"rendered":"EPISD employees facing layoffs get notices, union leaders warn against resigning"},"content":{"rendered":"

El Paso Independent School District employees have begun receiving notices informing them that their jobs are on the chopping block and have until Friday to resign if they prefer to do so \u2013 a move union leaders are warning against.<\/p>\n

Employees began receiving notices on Tuesday, a week after the board voted to declare financial exigency<\/a> and eliminate over 90 jobs as part of an unprecedented plan to cut payroll costs.<\/p>\n

The notices inform employees that they have been recommended for termination as part of a reduction in force, which will be voted on by the board Monday, June 15.<\/p>\n

Franklin High School social studies teacher Jesus Carreon, who received a notice informing him his job has been \u201cidentified for elimination,\u201d said one of his primary concerns is how the layoffs are going to affect class sizes and students.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, the ones that are going to suffer are going to be the students,\u201d Carreon said. \u201cKids are going to be put into classrooms with like 30 or more students. So it\u2019s not just like, \u2018Hey, I\u2019m losing my job.\u2019 That\u2019s awful, too, but it\u2019s affecting these kids\u2019 education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Superintendent Brian Lusk has said the district, which continues to face declining enrollment, plans to maintain current class sizes next year.<\/p>\n

The notice gives employees the option to resign and includes a form they can fill out and turn in by 5 p.m. Friday to step down voluntarily. Union leaders, including El Paso Teachers Association President Norma De La Rosa and El Paso Federation of Teachers President Kara Cervantes, warned against it, saying it could affect their ability to receive unemployment benefits.<\/p>\n

Cervantes said employees who resign may not be able to request a hearing with the board, which districts must offer to those being affected by layoffs under Texas law.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they resign, they\u2019re no longer eligible for unemployment benefits, and there is a hearing process for people who were affected by (reduction in force), and they would no longer be subject to that either. So I\u2019m advising people not to resign,\u201d Cervantes told El Paso Matters.<\/p>\n

PODCAST: What\u2019s next for EPISD as it navigates layoffs, board turmoil and aging schools amid budget crisis?<\/a><\/p>\n

EPISD officials said the notices are intended to inform employees of the recommendation and provide details on the next steps available to them. The notices do not state that resigning voluntarily could disqualify them from getting unemployment benefits. Instead, they state that if they voluntarily resign, their contracts won\u2019t be brought before the board.<\/p>\n

A total of 63 employees have received these notices, district officials said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEl Paso ISD is committed to ensuring employees receive clear and accurate information throughout the reduction in force process. The resignation form included with the notification packet is entirely voluntary and is provided only as an option for employees who may prefer to resign rather than have their contract recommended for termination due to financial exigency and reduction in force,\u201d district officials said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould you choose to resign, we will be more than happy to provide you with a letter of reference that explains the circumstances of your separation from El Paso ISD due to reduction in force,\u201d the letter states.<\/p>\n

Officials also said that \u201cquestions regarding unemployment benefits should be directed to the appropriate government agency, as eligibility determinations are made by entities outside of EPISD.\u201d<\/p>\n

The EPISD board is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss and vote on the termination of several employee contracts from all over the district, including teachers, social workers, school psychologists and testing coordinators, among others.<\/p>\n

De La Rosa said most of her members who received a notice are probationary teachers who are just starting their careers in education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is devastating for them simply because these probationary teachers are not that many years outside of having graduated from (the University of Texas at El Paso). So they have student loans they\u2019re going to have to pay off,\u201d De La Rosa said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Carreon, the notice turned his career plans upside down after teaching at\u00a0 EPISD for less than a year.<\/p>\n

Carreon graduated with a psychology degree in 2024 and was working on getting an alternative social studies teaching certification, which requires one year of experience working in the classroom.<\/p>\n

Now he\u2019ll have to find another job teaching social studies to complete his certification, but he hasn\u2019t had much luck so far. All other school districts in El Paso County are experiencing declining enrollment and have limited teaching openings outside of specialized roles like special education or bilingual education.<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday I stayed up until 2 a.m. and I\u2019ve been updating my resume and filling out applications. Unfortunately, it looks like, in terms of El Paso, there\u2019s not really much positions for social studies,\u201d Carreon said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I don\u2019t find a job that\u2019s in teaching, I guess I\u2019m going to get unemployment, and then either try to find a job I could get with my bachelor\u2019s in psychology, or just find something in the meantime while I try to get lucky,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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