Trustee Sean Haggerty voted against the resolution, arguing the school should be named after another important Hispanic figure in history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRenaming the campus to the Academy doesn\u2019t honor anyone. In my opinion, it erases the community. Our district serves numerous families who have deep Mexican American roots, and there is no shortage of people with that same heritage who are worth putting on our building,\u201d Haggerty said during the meeting.<\/p>\n
The district has previously discussed plans to close the academy and consolidate it in 2027 with its other alternative school, Thrive Academy, 525 Greggerson Drive, about 5 miles away.<\/p>\n
YISD Superintendent Xavier De La Torre said both the Academy and Thrive Academy will continue to operate as their own individual programs, but will be on the same campus.<\/p>\n
De La Torre said the generic name will also allow the board to rename the program in the future without much pushback from the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can look at the Academy as, at the very least, a placeholder for a period of time while we get that program established under its own name, even though they do share a campus,\u201d De La Torre said.<\/p>\n
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SISD\u2019s Montwood High School in East El Paso (Cindy Ramirez \/ El Paso Matters)<\/p>\n
Socorro ISD Receives Over 400 Applications for Virtual Academy Pilot<\/p>\n
The Socorro Independent School District has received over 400 applications for its virtual academy pilot program, which will allow up to 50 of its high school students to take classes online from home.<\/p>\n
SISD Superintendent James Vasquez told El Paso Matters the students selected to take part in the program will begin taking virtual classes in January.<\/p>\n
Vasquez said the district plans to collect data during the pilot process in the hopes of eventually expanding it to its own campus, known as the Socorro Virtual Academy, by the 2028-29 school year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look to grow beyond the initial 50 students that we\u2019ll accept and possibly expand to middle school. But for right now, we want to stick with the high school,\u201d Vasquez said.<\/p>\n
The SISD school board voted Sept. 15 to approve the Socorro Virtual Academy Pilot Program.<\/p>\n
The pilot program is open to both current and prospective students in grades nine through 12.<\/p>\n
To participate, students must meet the district\u2019s attendance requirements to receive credit, be in good academic standing and must have passed the state\u2019s required standardized tests the previous school year.<\/p>\n
Vasquez said the district may expand the academy to serve students who struggle with traditional schooling, military families who may need to move due to deployment and as an alternative to homeschooling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know there\u2019s a lot of parents out there who are maybe wanting to opt for homeschooling their kids or doing virtual school, and this is just another option for them to be able to stay with us,\u201d Vasquez said.<\/p>\n
He noted it could also help the district boost funding, which is tied to student enrollment and attendance.<\/p>\n
\u201cFunding is the same for virtual students as for other students. And with declining enrollment, this is just another way to maintain our current enrollment and possibly grow it,\u201d Vasquez said.<\/p>\n
County Hosts Future El Paso Voter Day<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
The El Paso County Elections Department is encouraging parents to bring their children with them to the polls Saturday, Oct. 24, to \u201cshow them how easy and important it is to vote.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Children younger than 18 will receive a pack of goodies, including a \u201cfuture voter\u201d sticker. Sophia Salas, a fourth-grade student at Coach Wally Hartley PK-8 School, designed the winning sticker art.<\/p>\n
ELECTION 2026 VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know about the Nov. 3 general elections in Eal Paso<\/a><\/p>\n The child must be present with the parent voting. Election packs will be available at all early voting locations while supplies last.<\/p>\n Visit www.elpasocountyvotestx.gov<\/a> to find a voting site, hours of operation and wait times.<\/p>\n Trump Endorsements Exclude El Paso Congressional Candidate Adam Bauman, List Brandon Herrera\u00a0<\/p>\n President Donald Trump on Truth Social this week endorsed a slew of Republicans for office in Texas \u2013 excluding former Border Patrol agent Adam Bauman<\/a>, the GOP nominee for El Paso\u2019s Congressional District 16.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bauman, 50, a Navy veteran, is facing four-term Democratic incumbent Veronica Escobar<\/a>, 57, in this year\u2019s midterms. Bauman didn\u2019t respond to requests for comment from El Paso Matters.<\/p>\n Among those listed for endorsement is firearms manufacturer and YouTube personality Brandon Herrera<\/a> in District 23, which covers a portion of El Paso\u2019s Lower Valley and East Montana.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/STEM-pathways_utep.jpg\")
Jes\u00fas Cisneros, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations at the University of Texas at El Paso (left), and Azuri Gonz\u00e1lez, Ed.D., of UTEP and the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, co-lead a project funded by a nearly $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation that will explore how colleges and universities can help low-income students pursue graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. (Courtesy the University of Texas at El Paso)<\/p>\n