I wrote in $40 million conflict about how the El Paso Independent School District may have to tear down it’s central office and build a new one because the land it sits on is owned by the city.
I wandered over to the district web site to see if I could find the results of their discussion. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the video coverage was available and that there was an index tying the agenda items to the portion of the video involved. You can experience that here. If you want to see the video of the agenda item click on “Item 10E 5 Item 12”.
No action was called for. The chief financial officer of the city did not say a word, which was appropriate conduct.
What struck me is that EPISD is paying the city through the airport over $132,000 dollars per year for the lease of the land. Compare that to the $1 per year leases that the city has given Texas Tech (Union Depot and Fall Mansion). I don’t understand how the airport and the city can justify kicking the local school district off the land while it gives away land and buildings to a state funded university.
Does the airport need the land? Can a compromise be reached where the district vacates the portion of the property that is dedicated to the school buses? Could the administrative building stay where it is? The voters may not spontaneously give the district $40 million for operating expenses, but it seems certain that if they are forced to cough up $40 million for a new building that the voters will certainly not want spend even more money on the kids.
As an aside I notice that the district web site has a link that should take us to the voting results of past meetings. Nothing is posted. I hope that the temporary managers rectify this.
The city could help us here. I would rather spend the money on the children and the education food chain.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Do not hold your breath!
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