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El Paso Independent School District, Texas
| El Paso Independent School District |
|---|
 |
| El Paso, Texas |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Diana Sayavedra |
| # of school board members: 7 |
| Website: Link |
El Paso Independent School District is a school district in Texas.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...
- Superintendent
- School board
- Elections
- Budget
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
 |
This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
Diana Sayavedra is the superintendent of the El Paso Independent School District. She was appointed on December 8, 2021 and started to serve on January 4, 2022. Her previous career experience includes working as interim superintendent for the Fort Bend Independent School District.[1][2]
Past superintendents
- Vince Sheffield was the interim superintendent of the El Paso Independent School District from November 5, 2020 until his successor was sworn in on January 4, 2022.[2] Sheffield also serves as El Paso ISD's deputy superintendent of administration and academics and has been with the district for 27 years.[3][4]
- Juan Cabrera was the superintendent of the El Paso Independent School District. Cabrera was appointed superintendent on September 3, 2013.[3]
School board
The El Paso Independent School District board of trustees consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. All board members are elected by district.[5]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| El Paso Independent School District, District 1 | Leah Hanany | May 12, 2021 |
| El Paso Independent School District, District 2 | Alejandro Cuellar | June 20, 2023 |
| El Paso Independent School District, District 3 | Jack Loveridge | April 16, 2024 |
| El Paso Independent School District, District 4 | Mindy Sutton | May 13, 2025 |
| El Paso Independent School District, District 5 | Robert Osterland | May 13, 2025 |
| El Paso Independent School District, District 6 | Valerie Ganelon Beals | June 20, 2023 |
| El Paso Independent School District, District 7 | Daniel Call | May 14, 2019 |
Elections
Members of the board are elected biennially in May to overlapping four-year terms.[5]
Four seats on the board were up for general election on May 3, 2025. The filing deadline for this election was February 14, 2025.
Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.
Join the conversation about school board politics
Public participation in board meetings
The El Paso Independent School District board of trustees maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[6]
District map
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[7]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $110,056,000 | $2,172 | 16% |
| Local: | $232,223,000 | $4,584 | 34% |
| State: | $334,272,000 | $6,598 | 49% |
| Total: | $676,551,000 | $13,354 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $877,310,000 | $17,317 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $590,334,000 | $11,652 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $352,988,000 | $6,967 | 40% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $81,664,000 | $1,611 | 9% |
| Administration: | $64,774,000 | $1,278 | 7% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $90,908,000 | $1,794 | 10% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $242,115,000 | $4,779 | |
| Construction: | $241,088,000 | $4,758 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $2,254,000 | $44 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $42,521,000 | $839 |
Teacher salaries
The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.
| Year | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025[8] | $57,750 | $69,014 |
| 2023-2024[9] | $57,750 | $69,548 |
| 2020[10] | $52,750 | $65,319 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[11]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 27 | 65-69 | 23 | 25 | <=20 | 35-39 | 45 |
| 2018-2019 | 51 | 75 | 45 | 49 | 30-39 | 61 | 64 |
| 2017-2018 | 48 | 74 | 42 | 46 | 30-39 | 57 | 62 |
| 2016-2017 | 77 | 89 | 72 | 76 | 70-74 | 81 | 86 |
| 2015-2016 | 74 | 87 | 71 | 72 | 70-74 | 77 | 83 |
| 2014-2015 | 73 | 87 | 69 | 71 | 75-79 | 80 | 84 |
| 2013-2014 | 80 | 90 | 75 | 79 | 80-89 | 87 | 88 |
| 2012-2013 | 80 | 90 | 76 | 79 | 80-84 | 87 | 88 |
| 2011-2012 | 85 | 94 | 81 | 85 | 85-89 | 92 | 91 |
| 2010-2011 | 85 | 94 | 79 | 84 | 85-89 | 91 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 37 | 60-64 | 37 | 34 | <=20 | 57 | 58 |
| 2018-2019 | 44 | 66 | 44 | 42 | 40-49 | 61 | 62 |
| 2017-2018 | 42 | 67 | 42 | 40 | 30-34 | 58 | 61 |
| 2016-2017 | 69 | 82 | 70 | 67 | 70-74 | 78 | 85 |
| 2015-2016 | 69 | 82 | 69 | 67 | 70-74 | 79 | 83 |
| 2014-2015 | 71 | 85 | 74 | 69 | 80-84 | 80 | 86 |
| 2013-2014 | 73 | 88 | 75 | 71 | 75-79 | 84 | 88 |
| 2012-2013 | 76 | 88 | 78 | 74 | 80-84 | 87 | 89 |
| 2011-2012 | 87 | 92 | 88 | 86 | >=95 | 94 | 94 |
| 2010-2011 | 87 | 94 | 86 | 86 | 85-89 | 94 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-2019 | 86 | >=90 | 80-84 | 85 | >=50 | >=90 | 91 |
| 2017-2018 | 84 | 85-89 | 80-84 | 83 | >=50 | 80-89 | 91 |
| 2016-2017 | 83 | 90-94 | 80-84 | 82 | >=50 | 70-79 | 88 |
| 2015-2016 | 83 | >=95 | 80-84 | 82 | >=50 | 80-89 | 88 |
| 2014-2015 | 80 | 80-89 | 85-89 | 79 | >=50 | >=90 | 88 |
| 2013-2014 | 80 | 90-94 | 80-84 | 79 | >=50 | 80-89 | 88 |
| 2012-2013 | 80 | 90-94 | 80-84 | 79 | >=50 | 80-89 | 85 |
| 2011-2012 | 82 | >=90 | 85-89 | 81 | >=50 | 80-89 | 88 |
| 2010-2011 | 81 | >=90 | 75-79 | 80 | PS | >=90 | 88 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 50,031 | -1.5 |
| 2021-2022 | 50,769 | 0.2 |
| 2020-2021 | 50,661 | -9.1 |
| 2019-2020 | 55,253 | -3.7 |
| 2018-2019 | 57,315 | -1.8 |
| 2017-2018 | 58,326 | -1.9 |
| 2016-2017 | 59,424 | -1.0 |
| 2015-2016 | 60,047 | -1.3 |
| 2014-2015 | 60,852 | -1.3 |
| 2013-2014 | 61,620 | -2.6 |
| 2012-2013 | 63,210 | -1.6 |
| 2011-2012 | 64,214 | -0.2 |
| 2010-2011 | 64,330 | 1.5 |
| 2009-2010 | 63,378 | 1.7 |
| 2008-2009 | 62,322 | 0.3 |
| 2007-2008 | 62,123 | -1.2 |
| 2006-2007 | 62,857 | -1.5 |
| 2005-2006 | 63,811 | 0.9 |
| 2004-2005 | 63,216 | 0.0 |
| 2003-2004 | 63,200 | 0.0 |
| 2002-2003 | 63,185 | 0.5 |
| 2001-2002 | 62,844 | 0.8 |
| 2000-2001 | 62,325 | 0.0 |
| 1999-2000 | 62,306 | 0.0 |
| RACE | El Paso Independent School District (%) | Texas K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.3 | 5.1 |
| Black | 3.4 | 12.8 |
| Hispanic | 84.1 | 52.9 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Two or More Races | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| White | 8.7 | 25.7 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2022-2023 school year, El Paso Independent School District had 3,506.06 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 14.27.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 158.54 |
| Kindergarten: | 176.82 |
| Elementary: | 1,499.82 |
| Secondary: | 1,653.07 |
| Total: | 3,506.06 |
El Paso Independent School District employed 92.31 district administrators and 382.30 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 92.31 |
| District Administrative Support: | 216.06 |
| School Administrators: | 382.30 |
| School Administrative Support: | 394.31 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 472.35 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 26.09 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 145.10 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 65.71 |
| Library/Media Support: | 21.64 |
| Student Support Services: | 293.82 |
| Other Support Services: | 1,587.18 |
Schools
Noteworthy events
2017: Board approves purchase of land for headquarters in 5-2 vote
The El Paso Independent board of trustees approved the $3.2 million purchase of the El Paso Community College's Stanton Professional Building and an adjacent vacant lot for the district's new headquarters on February 28, 2017. Purchasing the new property differed from the plan put in place by the district's board of managers, who governed from 2013 to 2015. At the time, the board of managers planned to move the headquarters to property the district already owned.[12]
The board voted to buy the vacant lot along with the Stanton Professional Building as not all of the district's headquarters staff could fit in the building. The district planned to use its reserves to spend $30 million to construct a new building on the vacant lot and renovate the Stanton Professional Building.[12] The district had to move its headquarters because its lease was not renewed by the city. The lease expired in 2018. “We have a possible extension to 2019 but the very latest we have to leave this location by 2019,” said school district spokeswoman Melissa Martinez.[13]
District 4 trustee Diane Dye and District 5 trustee Charles Taylor voted against the purchase.[14] Both members represent areas in the northeastern part of the district, which was where the board of managers had planned to build the new headquarters.[12]
Dye said she believed the renovation and construction of a new building would cost more than the allotted $30 million. Taylor said he believed the board would regret the approval of the purchase and that they should have followed the plan set up by the board of managers. “The slant toward purchasing this property in the Downtown or near Downtown, a congested area, is a poor decision, especially when the EPISD owns land already, land that is sufficiently large enough to house the entire EPISD central office operation,” said Taylor.[12]
Board President Dori Lane Fenenbock and members Susannah Byrd, Alfonso Velarde, Trent Kay Hatch, and Robert Geske voted in favor of the purchase.[14] “It was important to us that we build our offices in the center of the district,” said Fenenbock.[12]
Martinez said moving to the Stanton Professional Building and constructing a second building in the vacant lot would be less costly than moving the headquarters to the northeastern part of the district. “In the northeast we still have to build because it’s vacant land. We don’t own a property right now to take this all as is,” said Martinez.[13]
2016: Board passes resolution affirming DACA program
The El Paso Independent board of trustees unanimously passed a resolution on December 20, 2016, affirming the district's commitment to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program was created by the Obama administration to shield students residing in the country without legal permission, who are also called Dreamers. The resolution stated that the board “supports a bi-partisan effort in Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform and provide these DREAMers, along with other undocumented immigrants, a path to citizenship."[15]
Tens of thousands of immigrants were estimated to live in El Paso without legal permission in 2016, according to Robert Heyman, policy director for the Border Network for Human Rights. “When we’ve seen a great deal of nativism and xenophobia and racism around the country, I think it’s vitally important that institutions such as school boards and local governments reaffirm that we as a community are welcoming, inclusive and we’re working to advance the best interests of all the people who live here, work here and go to school here,” said Heyman.[15]
Before voting on the resolution, board member Al Velarde asked if it would put the district at odds with the state. “By the board approving an action such as this, are we going to be placing ourselves in jeopardy with the state, who sometimes tends to sanction organizations such as ours for going routes this way?”[15]
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) and President Donald Trump (R) both expressed opposition to policies that protected people who resided in the United States without legal permission.[16] Jeanne Cezanne “Cezy” Collins, general counsel for the district, said the resolution was more of a philosophical statement of the board rather than an order. “There may be things administration decides to do down the way that carry some weight and require more of a legal determination,” Collins said. “With regards to the resolution today, I don’t see a problem with it.”[15]
2016: Voters pass $668.7 million bond
A $668.7 million bond was approved by 55 percent of El Paso Independent School District voters on November 8, 2016. It was the largest bond to be proposed in El Paso County, according to the El Paso Times.[17]
The district sought the funding to close and consolidate nine schools, rebuild and renovate schools, purchase new buses, and update technology and security. District officials pledged to finish the projects within five years. The El Paso board of trustees unanimously voted to put the bond on the ballot in August 2016.[17]
Contact information
El Paso Independent School District
1014 N. Stanton St.
El Paso, TX 79902
Phone: 915-230-2000
Email: Info@episd.org
About school boards
Education legislation in Texas
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| Texas | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- El Paso Independent School District
- Texas Education Agency
- Texas Association of School Boards
Footnotes
- ↑ El Paso Times, "EPISD school board officially hires Diana Sayavedra as new superintendent," accessed October 02, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 El Paso Independent School District, "Meet our superintendent," accessed October 02, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 El Paso Matters, "EPISD interim superintendent to be paid more than $300,000," November 19, 2020
- ↑ El Paso Independent School District, "Meet Our Interim Superintendent," accessed March 19, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 El Paso Independent School District, "Board Members - Elections," accessed March 19, 2021
- ↑ Aldine Independent School District, "Board Meetings - Public Participation," accessed March 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ El Paso Independent School District, "Salary Schdules," accessed April 24, 2025
- ↑ El Paso Independent School District, "2023‐2024 Teacher, Librarian, Nurse, and Student Activity Manager Salary Schedule," accessed February 3, 2024
- ↑ El Paso Independent School District, "Pay Maintenance Report," accessed March 18, 2021
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 El Paso Times, "EPISD buys EPCC land for $3.2 million for new offices," February 28, 2017
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 KFOX14, "EPISD purchased EPCC building for new headquarters despite owning property in Northeast," March 1, 2017
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 El Paso Independent School District, "Minutes of Meeting of Board of Trustees February 28, 2017," accessed April 10, 2017
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 El Paso Times, "EPISD declares support for undocumented students," December 25, 2016
- ↑ El Paso Proud, "EP County Leaders to Sign Resolution Supporting Immigrants," January 9, 2017
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 El Paso Times, "EPISD bond becomes largest in county's history," November 8, 2016
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