El Paso voters delivered a blunt message to two school districts on Tuesday, rejecting tax ratification measures in both Socorro and Ysleta ISD by comfortable margins. Just over 57% of Socorro voters and 56% of Ysleta voters turned down the proposals, leaving both districts to figure out how to close budget gaps without the extra revenue they had hoped to bank.
The stakes were different for each district. According to El Paso Matters, Socorro's measure was projected to generate up to $49.2 million a year in additional revenue, while Ysleta's would have brought in as much as $5.5 million annually. Both numbers now evaporate, leaving both superintendents to figure out what comes next.
Socorro Says It Will Start Cutting Again
Socorro ISD said it will begin identifying further budget reductions while trying to protect classroom instruction and student programs, the district told KTSM 9 News. Superintendent James Vasquez struck a measured tone after the loss, saying simply that “we will use this time to start planning our next steps,” per the station's report.
This isn't the first time Socorro voters have said no. The district's VATRE failed by about 6 percentage points, or 850 votes, the previous year, a trend El Paso Matters has tracked closely. Socorro's board had already adopted a 2026 tax rate of $1.05 per $100 of valuation, well above its voter-approved rate of 93 cents, meaning the rejected measure would have locked in the higher rate rather than created it from scratch.
Ysleta's Superintendent Warns Layoffs Are Possible
Ysleta ISD's situation carries its own warning sign. Superintendent Xavier De La Torre said layoffs may be possible as the district works to stay financially solvent, according to the same El Paso Matters report documenting Tuesday's results. He added that district leadership and trustees are prepared to consider recommendations in the spring to make sure Ysleta adopts a balanced budget and avoids deficit spending, the same account notes.
The size of that budget hole depends on who you ask. De La Torre told KTSM the district's projected deficit had fallen from $12 million to about $7 million, while he told KFOX14 that the same estimate had decreased to approximately $9.5 million. Either way, the superintendent pointed to a silver lining: a smaller-than-projected enrollment decline generated roughly $2 million in unexpected revenue, per KTSM's reporting.
Enrollment Losses and a Real Estate Sell-Off
Ysleta ISD, whose headquarters sits in El Paso, had projected losing 1,250 students this school year but actually lost closer to 1,000, according to KFOX14. That's a modest bright spot for the district.
To help close its budget gap, Ysleta has already moved to unload real estate. The district holds a portfolio worth approximately $50 million, consisting of 11 properties currently listed for sale, KTSM reported. The district's board also adopted a tax rate of $1.19 per $100 of valuation, above its voter-approval rate of $1.15, according to El Paso Matters.
El Paso Wasn't Alone in Rejecting School Tax Hikes
The pushback extended well beyond Socorro and Ysleta. In nearby Tornillo ISD, 70% of voters rejected a similar tax proposal, El Paso Matters reported.
Up in North Texas, voters in Eagle Mt.-Saginaw ISD rejected a VATRE seeking $6 million for district maintenance and operations, according to unofficial results reported by KERA. Taken together, the results suggest Socorro and Ysleta are far from alone as they head into budget season with less money than they had planned on.
