The Texas Comptroller\u2019s Office is conducting an in-depth review of the El Paso Independent School District\u2019s finances, and newly obtained records indicate the inspection may extend beyond budgets and administrative costs.<\/p>\n
State Rep. Vince Perez, D-El Paso, obtained records showing the comptroller is seeking financial information including budgets, payrolls and contracts. <\/p>\n
The records also show requests for other materials, including the district\u2019s library catalogue, its policy on parental complaints involving human sexuality curriculum, and a count of students by ID type.<\/p>\n
RELATED: State rep. Vince Perez questions TX review of EPISD, citing requests for student records<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf they came in here under the pretenses for investigating administrative costs, what does student records have to do with that?\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n Perez, along with representatives with Texas LULAC and the Save Our Schools Coalition, held a news conference to discuss the review.<\/p>\n At the time, Perez said he had heard the review may include student records, including how many students are enrolled with a state-approved ID number versus a Social Security number.<\/p>\n Perez said he sent multiple requests to the comptroller seeking more information about the scope of the review and used legislative authority to formally request the records being examined. <\/p>\n He also said state auditors were physically on campus at EPISD throughout this week.<\/p>\n After the news conference, Perez\u2019s office sent a release detailing what the comptroller requested. <\/p>\n In addition to financial records, the release said the comptroller asked for student records, the school library catalogue and policies related to parental complaints over human sexuality curriculum.<\/p>\n The release said EPISD provided only aggregate numbers of students enrolled and did not provide anything that could identify students.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m curious to see what was given, what EPISD had to turn over to the Comptroller, and I think that will answer a lot of questions,\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n \u201cAccountability only matters if everybody in the state is being held to the same standard, and that\u2019s not what\u2019s happening here.\u201d<\/p>\n EPISD Superintendent Dr. Brian Lusk is expected to be interviewed later today about the comptroller\u2019s requests and what the district is providing.<\/p>\n RELATED: Texas comptroller selects El Paso ISD for performance review<\/a><\/p>\n