Dear El Paso ISD,

What an exciting first week of school! I visited campuses and felt the pride of our District at every level. The warm welcomes and greetings energized me for the new school year and really brought home our message that “it starts with us.”

I started my week by visiting our bus drivers - the first faces students see every day. I made my way to Brown Middle School and enjoyed meeting David Carrillo, who teaches “Principles of Manufacturing,” a STEM-based class, the only one of its kind in the region. What an amazing opportunity for our students. At Burges, the caliber of the student ambassadors I met reinforced my confidence that we are preparing the leaders of tomorrow. I enjoyed meeting the Franklin PTECH students, whose hunger for knowledge and rapport with their teacher Sarah Powers is a testament to the positive influence teachers have. As I walked a campus, hearing our maintenance employees chant, “Who are We? EPISD!” made me proud to be your superintendent. The El Paso ISD community continues to impress and inspire me.

As we move into the 2022-23 school year, I want to turn our focus to attendance and safety measures. Both are key to a successful school year.

Show Up! You Matter.

You may have heard me say the ‘greatest predictor of student success is attendance.’ Therefore, ensuring students are in class every day is a high priority. This fall, we will be rolling out a campaign to strongly encourage student attendance and provide recognition to campuses with high attendance rates. 

Safety and Security

Campus safety and security are a top priority. We must remain vigilant, consistently apply safety protocols, and use all resources available to keep our campuses safe. Lockdown drills are an essential piece of our safety plans. Consistency is our greatest strength, while complacency is our worst enemy.

Being alert and reporting suspicious activity also keeps us safe. In addition to the safety protocols already in place, if you see something, say something. I encourage you to visit episd.org/reportit. The website also offers assistance for individuals seeking mental health resources, including direct access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line, and Emergence Health Network hotline. Any immediate threat or suspicious activity should be reported to EPISD Police Services at 915-230-2525.

As we move through the school year, I look forward to hearing about the achievements and successes in the classroom that make El Paso ISD El Paso’s District.

It starts with us.

Aug. 8, 2022