(EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT – August 18, 2026) — El Paso Independent School District marks another significant step forward in El Paso ISD’s financial position. The district has identified additional savings expected to fully offset the approximately $4.3 million deficit included in its adopted 2026–27 budget.
The district is also projecting more than $60 million in fund balance reserves, representing approximately 46 days of operating expenditures.
When the Board of Trustees adopted the 2026–27 budget, it included a planned deficit of approximately $4.3 million. Since that time, additional expenditure savings and other adjustments identified by the administration are expected to eliminate that planned deficit based on current projections.
“This is meaningful progress and reflects the difficult work that has taken place across the district,” Superintendent Dr. Brian Lusk said. “Our responsibility now is to sustain that progress, maintain strong financial controls and continue directing our resources toward students, classrooms and the employees who serve them.”
The district will continue monitoring actual enrollment, staffing, revenues and expenditures throughout the year, supported by enhanced position-control and payroll measures that provide greater oversight of authorized positions, staffing changes and compensation costs. Through ongoing vacancy monitoring, recruitment and outreach, more than 100 former El Paso ISD employees are returning to work in the district.
The Board of Trustees is receiving monthly updates on those measures, along with actual enrollment and financial data, allowing trustees and the public to compare budget assumptions with actual results throughout the school year.
The district is also developing a public-facing financial dashboard to provide the community with greater access to key financial information. A preliminary version of the dashboard was reviewed by the Board during its Aug. 11, 2026, meeting.
“Our current projections indicate that the deficit included in the adopted budget can be fully offset while maintaining the district’s reserves,” said David Bates, Deputy Superintendent of Operations and Support Systems. “Continued monitoring of enrollment, staffing, payroll and expenditures will be critical to maintaining that position throughout the year.”
The improved financial outlook comes as El Paso ISD begins the school year following gains in the 2026 Texas Education Agency Accountability Ratings. The district earned an overall B rating with a score of 82, with over 55% of its campuses earning an A or B.
El Paso ISD will continue providing regular financial updates throughout the 2026–27 school year as actual enrollment, revenues and expenditures are recorded.