As the first day of classes beckons at El Paso Independent School District, families and students look to another term at schools that have changed due to financial strain.
EPISD Superintendent Brian Lusk knows all too well that the legal and fiduciary wrangling of recent months still means serving students by meeting academic and personal goals. For the 71 schools serving an estimated 48,000 students, finding a way forward to financial stability and educational excellence starts with the correct approach by teachers and support staff.
Lusk sat down for an Interview with the El Paso Times to discuss how the district is preparing for another school year.
El Paso Times: What is your message to the community as we start the school year? It’s been sobering to see what the district has been dealing with to balance its budget.
Brian Lusk: First, we’re very excited at the start of the school year and we’re optimistic about the preliminary academic outcomes that say we’re making good progress. We actually have the highest gains over the last five years in grades three through eight on the STAAR and EOC grades nine through 12. Our data tells us we’re heading in the right direction. We’re in a very healthy space with our finances. It was difficult for many of our team members impacted by (financial exigency) and we’re bringing folks back as much as we can we’ll continue to do that. We have over 40 days of fund balance, which is over $60 million.
EPT: What has your transition been like? How are you adjusting to this role and life in El Paso?
BL: It’s been great. The big bump we had with our finances was a challenge. More importantly, the students, the parents and the community has been phenomenal. They’ve been great partners in this process and we’re seeing a great deal of good teachers and learning by our students. The culture of commitment here is very exciting. The appetite of our teachers making sure our kids get great instruction every day means a great deal to our school district.
EPT: What are the district’s academic goals for this year?
BL: This is a collective vision for goals. Ultimately, we’re doubling down on effective teaching and learning. We’re implementing our teacher incentive allotment district wide and we’re making sure our teachers and principals are compensated well for the work they do. It keeps us focused on the main thing, which is principals leading well and our teachers teaching well. We want to make sure we have the best instruction possible and that will lead to great outcomes.
EPT: What are some concerns the district has over enrollment numbers this year?
BL: I think they continue to be a concern. We have declining birth rates, and the community seems to be shrinking from a population perspective. We focus on what we can control and that’s great school options for our families from pre-K all the way through those enrolled in pre-college or those earning an associate’s degree. If we provide strong options for our families, that will make sure the market share that is available continues to choose us.
EPT: What is the expectation for the current crop of teachers to handle extra work in classrooms considering the loss of some positions in schools?
BL: What we did was a significant reduction in central staff. But we didn’t compromise our classrooms since the classroom ratios remained the same. The level of service and quality that our families and students get will not be compromised. They will still continue to receive classroom instruction. While we did have a decline in enrollment, our adjustment in teaching force was minimal because it was only tied to that.
ELP: How do you feel the proposed bond package will be received considering the district is coming off approved financial exigency?
BL: I think about the need to have a climate that’s conducive to learning. If you think about a classroom that has a swamp cooler and you have a classroom that’s 80 degrees, I don’t think you do great work. So I think it’s important to upgrade our facilities to meet the work that’s happening inside our schools. The community will have questions and they should. What they could do is look at the process from February to now in the long-range facilities master plan that was very transparent. It allowed the community to say what they considered to be most important in this bond proposal.
ELP: This is the first school term after the financial exigency vote. How would you characterize the morale of both central staff and teachers across the district?
BL: Optimistic. I’ve had the good fortune to be in schools and professional development. I helped co-lead professional development at two of our schools. I can tell you teachers are hungry to do well for our children and make sure the classroom instruction they provide is top notch. There’s an excitement and energy to start the new school year in a great way. We’ve prepared as if it’s our first year, making sure we’re organized.
Kristian Jaime is the Top Story Reporter for the El Paso Times and is reachable at Kjaime@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: EPISD Superintendent Brian Lusk on new school year, financial recovery
Reporting by Kristian Jaime, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kristian Jaime, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
