School districts wrestling with deficits this summer

EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) — School districts across the El Paso region are grappling with budget deficits during their budget deliberations this summer.

On Wednesday, June 26, the Socorro Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a budget with a 22-million deficit. That’s a little more than half $41 million they had projected earlier this year.

As we reported, SISD trustees also voted at the beginning of the month to have no pay increases for employees and to reduce the district’s contributions to employee health plans.

And Socorro isn’t the only district making cuts.

El Paso ISD passed a $542-budget that did not include any pay increases for employees.

In Canutillo and Ysleta, both school boards also passed budgets that had deficits, according to KTSM research.

The school districts have said they are facing a multitude of issues — from low enrollment, to lack of state funding.

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