Latest news with #YISD
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ysleta ISD offers $5,000 resignation incentive for up to 400 teachers, administrators
EL PASO, Texas (EL PASO MATTERS) — The Ysleta Independent School District is offering teachers, counselors and administrators a $5,000 incentive to voluntarily resign to help reduce personnel costs as it prepares its budget for the coming school year. In an email sent out to administrators obtained by El Paso Matters this week, YISD states it is offering to buy out the first 400 qualified employees to submit their resignation notice early. The incentive is open to those in full-time administrative positions or those employed under Chapter 21 contracts – typically teachers, counselors, administrators and others that require state certification, according to the letter. The district states the incentive applies only to those who were already planning to resign or retire from the district at the end of their 2024-25 contract. Employees have until May 29 to submit the resignation notice to the district's human resources office to qualify for the incentive. The resignation would be effective on the employee's last day of duty this school year. 'Due to declining enrollment and in preparation for the upcoming school year, the early notification incentive is being offered to ensure proper staffing at our campuses and support the effective use of district funds,' YISD officials said in an email statement to El Paso Matters. No other details on the buyout were made available, and the district didn't respond to questions about how much the resignations are estimated to save the district in personnel costs or whether it intended to implement layoffs if 400 employees don't take the incentive. During an April board meeting, YISD officials estimated the district would generate $368.3 million in revenue under the current school financing laws, but did not reveal its projected expenses or whether they expect a deficit. Last year, the YISD board approved a $408.2 million budget with a $17.2 million deficit. The district has also considered taking out a $25 million loan to cover its payroll expenses if it depletes its cash reserves while awaiting payment from the state. The YISD buyout offer comes as school districts throughout the region attempt to cut their budgets to address ongoing budget deficits. Socorro ISD this week laid off 43 teachers after also offering incentives for early retirement and resignations. SISD had initially said it planned to lay off up to 300 employees. EPISD is closing eight elementary schools over the next two years to reduce expenses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Del Valle HS assistant principal chosen as DoD STEM Ambassador
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A Del Valle High School Assistant Principal is the first El Pasoan to be named a Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Ambassador, according to the news release by Ysleta Independent School District. According to Ysleta ISD, Ramon Benavides was named a DoD STEM Ambassador and is among only 30 ambassadors nationwide. 'As an administrator, this role gives me the unique opportunity to represent Del Valle HighSchool and Ysleta ISD on a national level. Most importantly, it enables me to continue bringing new and transformative opportunities to our students, helping them access pathways to success in STEM fields and beyond,' Benavides said. According to YISD, the DoD STEM Ambassador program is a collaborative partnership between academia, industry, nonprofit groups and government that aims to broaden STEM literacy and develop a diverse and agile workforce. The selection was a 'rigorous, highly competitive selection process that emphasized a nominee's ability to inspire, lead and advocate for STEM opportunities,' according to the school district. According to the school district, Benavides' duties as a DoD STEM Ambassador include: Help develop and execute a project to address STEM challenges and provide meaningful STEM experiences to military-connected and/or underrepresented students Author guest blog posts Support national presentations to share best practices in STEM and DoD STEM resources, among others 'I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement from our campus and districtleadership, as they have been instrumental in this achievement,' Benavides said. Prior to being an administrator, Benavides was a science teacher at Del Valle High School and was named 2022 Texas Teacher of the Year, according to Ysleta ISD. In addition, YISD said Benavides also worked on programs and initiatives at the high school and district-wide to 'elevate science and STEM.' According to the school district, Benavides is the son of migrant farmworkers who dropped out of school at a young age. Benavides holds a bachelor's degree from both the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas at Brownsville, a master's degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and a doctorate from Texas Tech University. 'Benavides has been published in various publications and participated in several state/national professional organizations, as well as research internships with Rice University and UTEP. He serves as a national STEM advocate for The Society for Science and the Public, advocating for changes in the classroom that ensure underrepresented students attain a fair chance at success in STEM professions,' YISD said in the news release. For more information about the STEM Ambassador program, you can visit the Department of Defense STEM website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
13 Ysleta ISD schools make statewide honor roll
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A total of 13 schools in the Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) were honored on Tuesday, March 18, in the 2024 Texas Honor Roll for closing student achievement gaps, the district said in a news release. YISD said only 12 percent of eligible schools statewide received the honor roll designation this year. The YISD schools that got the statewide honor roll include the following: Desertaire Elementary Eastwood Heights Elementary Glen Cove Elementary North Star Elementary Ramona STEM Academy Scotsdale Elementary Tierra Del Sol Elementary Vista Hills Elementary Eastwood Knolls International Edgemere International REL Washington International Valle Verde Early College High School Young Women's Leadership Academy 'Year after year, our teachers, administrators, staff, and students show up every day, put in the work, and make the Ysleta Independent School District one of the best in the state – and we couldn't be prouder of their accomplishments,' said Superintendent of Schools Xavier De La Torre. 'The dedication, passion, and focus at our neighborhood schools make all the difference in the world, and this recognition confirms what we already know: Our schools are doing something special,' De La Torre added. 'We will continue building on our success to ensure every Ysleta ISD student has the support and skills they need to thrive.' YISD said that to make the honor roll, a school or district must have comprehensively performed above the mean (trendline) at least 80 percent of the time for all cohorts of students and grade levels. Among all 63 districts and 762 schools that were named to the honor roll this year, Ysleta ISD and its campuses were in the 'STAR' category because 33 percent of students or more are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged, the district said. 'This is the 10th year that Educational Results Partnership (ERP) has released the Texas Honor Roll to recognize successful schools/educational systems while promoting best practices that improve student outcomes and prepare them for success,' read the news release. It is also presented in partnership with state business leaders and is based solely on objective student achievement data, ERP officials said. For a complete list of 2024 Texas Honor Roll schools and districts, visit here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
YISD mariachis excel at state championships
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The Hanks High School mariachi program took home top honors at the 2025 UIL State Mariachi Festival championships this past weekend, Ysleta ISD said in a news release. Hanks High School's Mariachi Los Trovadores was the only El Paso-area band to receive the festival's best ratings – a Division I Superior – from all three judges, YISD said. YISD said that for earning a Division I Superior rating, Mariachi Los Trovadores, under the direction of Orlando Guerrero, received a group award and individual gold medals for each member. Four other mariachi bands within the district from Del Valle, Eastwood, and Riverside high schools, as well as the Young Women's Leadership Academy, earned Division II Excellent ratings at the state championships, YISD said. In addition, YISD said that among all El Paso-area mariachi ensembles that competed at state, YISD students captured eight of the 10 Outstanding Individual Performer awards at the competition, which is now in its sixth year as an official UIL contest. Outstanding Individual Performer awards went to: Violin: Mariafernanda Avila (Eastwood HS) and Shantel Escorza (Del Valle HS) Trumpet: Mariana Barbosa, Brandon Flores, Edward Marquez, and Isaac Jara, (all from Del Valle HS) Guitarra de Golpe: Jose Carillo (Del Valle HS) Vocal: Jason Castillo (Hanks HS) Ysleta ISD mariachi ensembles that earned a rating of 'Excellent' are: Del Valle High School's Mariachi de Los Conquistadores Eastwood High School's Mariachi Reyna Riverside High School's Mariachi Estrella de Riverside Young Women's Leadership Academy's Cielo Azul 'During the state contest, each mariachi ensemble received a rating of Division I, II, III, IV, or V from each of the three judges based on the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules,' read the news release. Additionally, YISD said each ensemble received a 30-minute clinic with a nationally recognized mariachi educator/performer after their performance. The focus of this interaction is on musicianship and the artistry of making music, YISD added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas House proposes bills that could expand public school funding, create education savings account program
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Texas Legislature may be getting poised to provide long-needed financial relief to public schools across the state. On Thursday, Feb. 20, the Texas House introduced several bills – most notably House Bills 2 and 3 – which could set aside $7 billion in state funds for public education, and $1 billion to fund an education savings account program (ESA). HB 2 would see the state's funding formula for public schools change, after remaining stagnant since 2019. The bill proposes that the state increase how much funds it provides public schools per student by $220. Currently, school districts receive a basic allotment of $6,160 per student. This would increase that number to $6,380. Ysleta ISD Superintendent Xavier De La Torre, however, said that the increase is underwhelming as they hoped for $400 more, and added that it won't help his or neighboring districts eliminate their financial challenges. 'It's certainly not enough. It's not going to move the average teacher compensation in Texas out of 30th place (in the country),' De La Torre said. Just over three months ago, El Paso ISD moved to close eight schools over two years to deal with its finanical issues. This week, Socorro ISD decided to lay off hundreds of teachers and staff to mitigate their deficit as well, and YISD has had to adopt a budget deficit in back-to-back years. Because YISD adopted a $17 million budget deficit for the 2024-25 school year, De La Torre said they're contemplating taking out a 'gap' loan to fund payroll demands in August – one of two months where school districts don't receive installments of money from the state. 'Under normal circumstances, we would simply go into the unassigned fund balance, the reserve, where we would have enough cash to cover that month and then pay ourselves back the following month when we get revenue from the state,' De La Torre said. 'It's sort of the perfect storm — no money from the state, inflation up 20 to 25%. And there have been some decisions made in Austin that were unexpected and unanticipated relative to special education funding, that withheld $7 million from the Ysleta Independent School District,' De La Torre said. Still, De La Torre said that HB 2 came with several provisions that could greatly benefit them and other school districts in El Paso. 'There are proposals that students with special needs would get additional funding. Students who are emerging bilingual or English language learners would get additional money. And students who are socio-economically disadvantaged – poor – would get additional money. So when you think about those three baskets, El Paso and specifically Ysleta Independent School District, has a very high percentage of students that require support around special needs. One out of every three of our students are English learners, and eight out of every 10 students are poor,' De La Torre said. Overall, De La Torre is optimistic that HB 2 has kickstarted discussions at the state level of increasing public education funding, as he believes it could eventually help them and other public school districts to improve their financial challenges. HB 3, the other key education bill being considered, would fund and create an education savings account (ESA) program, allowing families to use these funds to enroll in private schools or for other educational expenses. Nathan Cunneen, Texas state director for the American Federation for Children (AFC) – a national organization that advocates for school choice, especially lower-income families – believes both public and private education could thrive together with state funding. 'There's almost 30 studies done by academic, peer-reviewed research that show that when public schools are exposed to school choice competition, they get better and public school students get better. This is not a us-or-them sort of arrangement where it's public school versus private school. This is about putting students first, and the data shows that all schools do better as a result,' Cunneen said. Cunneen said that because HB 3 stipulates that students who would be part of the education savings account (ESA) program would receive only 85% of what public schools receive for each student from the state and federal government, it would incentivize the state to continue increasing funding for public schools. 'Kids don't all learn the same. Not every kid is the same, and assigning students to schools based on their zip code does not always guarantee that they're going to get what they need to succeed in their education. What school choice and education savings account does is give families the option to pursue other opportunities if their assigned-to public school isn't working out for them,' Cunneen said. De La Torre doesn't believe the approval of a state-funded ESA program will have a huge detrimental effect on El Paso school districts compared to bigger cities like Dallas or Houston, because there aren't large private schools here that could take away large amounts of students from their schools. While De La Torre said he welcomes the competition with private schools in the area, and believes they could both thrive in El Paso with state-funding, he is wary that at some point down the line an ESA program could take away from public schools. 'Everything I've read from all the states that have already experimented with educational savings accounts or vouchers, the investment has had to increase significantly. From 1 billion before you know it, five years down the road, it costs $3 billion and so on and so forth. At some point, it could redirect money from your traditional public school system to these private schools,' De La Torre said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
