SISD Headquarters (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Socorro Independent School District (SISD) in El Paso is preparing to lay off employees as it grapples with a $38 million budget deficit. Interim Superintendent James Vasquez announced the impending layoffs in an email to teachers and staff, stating that the district must make these cuts to ensure financial stability for the 2025-2026 school year.
"We have worked with our conservators, financial advisors, and other financial experts to identify ways to reduce our deficit," Vasquez wrote. "Regrettably, our choices were either make these drastic cuts or become insolvent as a district. This is without question the most difficult time in the district’s history."
The email did not specify the number of layoffs, as the district is still determining the exact figure. However, Vasquez assured that once the number is finalized, affected employees will be notified.
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Over the past 10 months, SISD has attempted to save $25 million by reducing its workforce by 8%, including a 10% cut in district-level staff through attrition. Despite these efforts, the district had to take out a loan in November to cover payroll for the holiday season and is considering another short-term loan in 2025.
Angelica Soto, president of the Socorro Education Association, expressed her surprise at the news. "I told him, I'm astonished," Soto said after meeting with Vasquez. "It's gotten to the point where they have to do something drastic to cover the budget and get out of this deficit."
Soto revealed that the district plans to eliminate 300 jobs, a number she did not anticipate. "I thought we were told repeatedly that this would be handled through attrition, but Mr. Vasquez said it wasn’t enough to cover the deficit," she said.
The district's financial struggles are attributed to several factors, including a decrease in enrollment by approximately 1,200 students, which cost SISD $10 million in state funds. Additionally, chronic absenteeism, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and inadequate state funding for public schools have compounded the issue.
Soto also mentioned that the district plans to eliminate the fine arts program, leaving many teachers uncertain about their futures. "There aren’t enough positions locally to absorb these teachers," she said. "If they want to continue teaching, they’ll likely have to look outside the district—or even outside the area."
A fine arts teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed feeling misled by the district's assurances that no jobs would be lost. "This is completely different from what we were told," she said. "In previous meetings, we were assured no one would lose their job—that positions would be transferred, not eliminated."
The district plans to address the media in a press conference and hold a board meeting on Wednesday to provide further updates.
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