EPISD faces community backlash as Zavala Elementary among schools at risk of closure

On November 20, 2024By Littum

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) — As the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) considers closing eight schools, residents are voicing concerns reminiscent of the district’s last round of closures in 2019.

In 2019, EPISD closed four campuses, Alta Vista, Beall, Schuster and Burleson, and moved students to Zavala Elementary.

However, Zavala is now among the schools facing potential closure.

Anais Salcedo, a parent of a Zavala student, expressed her concerns about the impact of the closure on her family.

“It would mean a lot of pressure for me because I don’t have a car to go to another school,” Salcedo said.

Salcedo also emphasized the convenience of having a school within walking distance, saying:

If something goes wrong with my daughter, I can go very quickly and see what’s going on. If they move to another school, I won’t be able to do that.

Despite such concerns, EPISD budget lines indicate that the district saved approximately $5 million from the 2019 closings and estimates that this new round of school closings could potentially reduce 60 percent of its 2025-26 budget deficit, which is expected to be 32.2 million dollars.

The 2019 closures were met with protests, including a hunger strike, but ultimately failed.

Residents like Pablo Salazar, who attended Zavala nearly 16 years ago, lamented the potential loss.

“I think the school, it’s a big part of this little community down here,” Salazar said. “A lot of the houses around here that have kids that go there, I mean you see them in the afternoon, they all go together and run down the street. So, you know, it would be a bit of a shame to see them all go away . . .

EPISD has not yet responded to inquiries about the 2019 closures or how to inform about the current proposal.

Below is EPISD’s detailed plan for the school closings, which includes a breakdown of the budget shortfalls and information about registration and transportation schedules: