It did not take long for Gov. Greg Abbott to blame El Paso Independent School District's financial exigency on 'bloated' bureaucracy and poor taxpayer accountability during his stop in the city.
Abbott announced a new education initiative to cut administrative waste and ensure taxpayer dollars are directed primarily to Texas classrooms during a visit to Northeast El Paso on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Among the policy initiatives announced were the dedication of 70% of funding for classrooms and requiring an audit of school districts to eliminate waste and cutting administrative requirements that take time and resources away from students and teachers.
Abbott wasted no time in taking aim at EPISD, pointing out that between FY2015-25, the district spent
an additional 31% on campus leadership costs, 33% on instructional costs, and 104% on administrative costs. All the while, the district saw a 21% decline in total student enrollment.
"The reason (EPISD) had to cut all their spending is because they were irresponsible with their budget that led to the necessity of making job cuts," Abbott said. "All of us must be responsible for using tax dollars effectively. There's only one way to do that in terms of education and that's putting it back into the classroom. We want to limit what is spent on administrative costs and this applies to school districts and the state agencies as well."
He contrasted that with the Austin Independent School District, which spent an additional 74% on campus leadership, 47% on instructional costs, and 75% on administrative costs. They saw a 14% decline in enrollment during that time.
According to the U.S. News & World Report Best States rankings, Texas ranks 25th nationally for overall education.
EPISD: 'The classroom is the center of our universe'
In a statement to the El Paso Times, EPISD responded to Abbott's claims, noting the district has been proactive in streamlining their budget without impacting the student experience.
"At El Paso ISD, the classroom is the center of our universe, and we prioritize directing all resources possible to support instruction," said EPISD superintendent Dr. Brian Lusk. "We acknowledge that El Paso ISD had too many central office positions and over the last several years the district was not rightsized to align with enrollment trends. Since I joined as superintendent, we have taken a close look at every central office position and made significant reductions to ensure staffing reflects the needs of the district."
Lusk was also content that EPISD’s 2026 Texas Education Agency accountability rating of B is proof of the work.
The district targeted central office operations by initiating the elimination of 124 central office positions, including administrative support staff such as clerks, finance roles, and warehouse managers, and by addressing more than 90 vacant central office roles to help close its multi-million-dollar budget gap.
The EPISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the 2026-27 budget in June, with the plan including about $518.6 million in revenue and $523 million in spending, creating a shortfall of roughly $4.3 million.
Abbott underscored that he expects all state agencies to cut their budgets by an estimated 3% to "do more with less."
Faced with declining school enrollment, Abbott also said there are limited options at the state level to address it.
"It's the responsibility of the local school districts to manage their own budget and personnel," Abbott said. "I really don't think EPISD wants the state to come in and micromanage their budget. Trust me, we'd be more than happy to do so, but they have to ascertain what their student population will be. The decline has been going on for years and they still spent more."
This month, Abbott proposed new limits on classroom screen time to put teachers and direct instruction back at the center of the classroom and unveiled Student Success Academies to improve reading and math achievement.
He also explicitly called for a total ban on H-1B visas for Texas public school employees. During a news conference on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Abbott announced legislative proposals to eliminate what he described as "foreign influence in the classroom."
Inez Vasquez, the owner of the home where Abbott visited, heard a great deal that resonated with her, given her 13 years as a school nurse in the Socorro and El Paso Independent School Districts.
"Having funding going into the classrooms is where it needs to go," Vasquez said. "I've seen firsthand everything these teachers do and it's certainly not enough funding. I still have two kids in Chapin High School. There are so many wonderful teachers, but they're limited as to what they can do."
Vasquez noted that Abbott's visit to her home was an honor, especially given her late husband's work as a Border Patrol Agent.
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: Gov. Abbott blames EPISD's financial woes on 'bloated' bureaucracy
