Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A woman with a gunshot wound is in the hospital after a domestic disturbance in Canutillo According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office a woman with an apparent gunshot wound was admitted to The Hospital of Providence Transmountain Campus which appears to be connected to a domestic disturbance reported on the 7100 block of Bosque Road near the Texas-New Mexico state line RECOMMENDED: One person found dead inside apartment after shooting in Northeast El Paso EPCSO said the house has been secured and one person is in custody following a traffic stop EPCSO also said the Major Crimes Unit is investigating the case RECOMMENDED: El Paso fugitive arrested for alleged illegal Facebook bingo operation Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox The lives of some Socorro and Canutillo independent school district employees were upended late last week as they received a piece of paper informing them that their contracts would not be renewed after the end of the school year Some of those employees who have been laid off include middle and elementary school music teachers from Socorro ISD and registered nurses from Canutillo ISD Several SISD employees who received the notices Friday declined to comment at this time saying they were going to first consult with their teacher unions Socorro ISD officials would not yet disclose how many employees have been laid off or how many more will be affected The district plans to give the updates “when it presents the final list of impacted employees to the board,” said Daniel Escobar the district’s chief communications officer The next regularly scheduled board meeting is April 16 but it’s unclear if a meeting might be called sooner In February, the Socorro ISD board voted to lay off about 300 employees, eliminate elementary fine arts programs and increase class sizes in an effort to cut the district’s budget by $38 million Socorro ISD initially said it would notify impacted employees that their contracts would not be renewed by April 1, but the district extended the deadline to see how many would take a $2,500 incentive to retire or resign voluntarily Employees had until Monday to qualify for the buyout More: Private school voucher bill clears first test in Texas House Most school employees’ contracts are 12 months long and end June 30 “We are deeply saddened by the layoff notices that have already been issued to our dedicated teachers and we share in the disappointment that these circumstances have brought,” West Texas Alliance President Rosie Perez told El Paso Matters via text it is our responsibility to stand together in solidarity and offer the full support and resources needed to help those affected navigate this next chapter with dignity and confidence.” Perez said the organization has focused on supporting members who were given layoff notices such as providing information on applying for unemployment insurance and accessing retirement Socorro American Federation of Teachers President Veronica Hernandez said most of the union’s members who received a notice were probationary employees who have been with the district for less than three years and can have their contracts pulled for non-renewal with no cause “They don’t need a particular reason at all much less if you have situations like the district’s (budget) deficiency That’s a good cause,” Hernandez told El Paso Matters She said the organization is working with its attorney to see how many of its members are being affected and if there is any recourse non-probationary employees can take to keep their jobs The Socorro AFT is also working with teachers to help them get their special education certification possibly allowing them to take new positions within the district “Several teachers have expressed that they’re willing to take this test this coming month,” Hernandez said More: Violent crime victims remembered during El Paso District Attorney's Office ceremony The Canutillo ISD board voted in March to lay off employees and cut programs to address a projected $5.8 million deficit for the coming school year The district did not specify how many employees would be affected Canutillo ISD officials have not responded to El Paso Matters’ questions about the layoffs Some of those who received layoff notices have debated whether it’s worth working the rest of the school year knowing they won’t have a job with the district after the summer I have so many kids with chronic illnesses I’m heartbroken,” one registered nurse from Canutillo ISD who received a layoff notice told El Paso Matters Canutillo ISD did not give a deadline for notifying employees but will need to do so before approving contracts for the next school year Canutillo ISD plans to reduce the number of registered nurses it has to just three for all 10 of its campuses and hire licensed vocational nurses — or LVNs — to tend to students LVNs generally require less schooling and can practice as school nurses under the supervision of a registered nurse, according to the Texas Board of Nursing On April 3, Canutillo ISD posted a job listing for seven LVN positions across multiple campuses each campus will have either a registered nurse or LVN on duty The school board also voted to eliminate its nurse coordinator position which was in charge of overseeing the district’s nurses and implementing health programs Some nurses El Paso Matters spoke to were concerned that the quality of care students receive would be affected without enough registered nurses to supervise “The way they plan to do this is to have an RN at a different campus there is no way they’re going to be closely supervised,” a Canutillo ISD nurse said in an interview The Canutillo High School baseball program is all about playing for championships the Eagles stayed atop District 1-5A standings with a 13-6 home win vs Chapin and with one week remaining in the regular season are tied for first place with El Paso High at 6-2 in district they would capture their sixth straight district championship If both El Paso High and Canutillo win Tuesday entering the bottom of the fifth but scored seven runs in that inning and added four more runs in the sixth Centerfielder Aaron Alvarado tripled in two runs and designated hitter Ernesto Ramirez tripled in a run to lead the way in the fifth inning Second baseman Esteban De La Rosa added two hits and two RBI and Daniel Luna was the winning pitcher in relief What did Canutillo baseball coach Armando Almanza say"Our team has made steady progress and they are working hard," Almanza said "We did a good job at the plate late in the game It was a big win for us and sets us up for next week." "We started shaky but came together," Alvarado said "We had a big inning in the fifth and we just kept the momentum going We lost a lot of seniors from last year but we keep coming through and we have a chance at that sixth straight district title." Added Ramirez: "It was a win we needed desperately finish strong and take it one game at a time." More: HS Baseball 30 El Paso high school baseball players who have made significant impact in 2025 Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Canutillo Independent School District is grappling with a severe budget deficit that could lead to bankruptcy Galaviz warned of "a serious financial challenge" facing the district necessitating further cuts to address the shortfall "CISD is evaluating every possible cost-saving measure," including optimizing operational expenses He also criticized state funding decisions attributing some of the district's financial woes to the governor's school voucher plans and the influence of special interest groups and political agendas Residents have expressed concern over the potential impact on education quality "You just see all the cuts in schools and schools closing Where is the prioritization of the young generation?" "It's really concerning as far as just the quality is going down." The district's financial struggles come as other school districts Despite the email from Galaviz being sent yesterday further details from CISD have yet to be confirmed The situation remains under close watch as the district evaluates its next steps Galaviz's full message can be found HERE RELATED: Superintendent under fire as Canutillo community questions land acquisition transparency Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox. Wind gusts of 30+ mph along with afternoon and evening blowing dust, could reduce visibility. Weather Maps RadarLawsuit seeks removal of Canutillo ISD board president over past DWI arrestsby Staff Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A lawsuit has been filed against the board president of the Canutillo Independent School District Armando Rodriguez which was served to Rodriguez during a board meeting cites his previous arrests for driving while intoxicated since his election to the board in 2005 Rodriguez has 20 days to respond to the lawsuit with a written answer "The lawsuit is baseless and without merit." He acknowledged past mistakes but emphasized "I have worked with the legal system and have no convictions and my record is clear." RECOMMENDED: Canutillo ISD to discuss financial struggles at budget workshop RECOMMENDED: CanutilIo ISD faces financial crunch: budget cuts loom amid shortfall The Canutillo Independent School District is considering laying off employees increasing class sizes and cutting student programs as it faces potential financial exigency — the equivalent of bankruptcy for education institutions The Canutillo ISD school board met Tuesday to discuss the budget for the 2025-26 school year and go over cost-saving options including eliminating elementary school music classes canceling district-funded travel and setting a hiring freeze on non-essential employees Canutillo is the second El Paso area school district to openly discuss layoffs though many others are also facing financial woes CISD officials did not say how many employees may be affected by layoffs should the board approve them later this month Canutillo ISD communications director Gustavo Reveles said the board may vote on the layoffs by the next regularly scheduled board meeting March 25 to notify impacted employees in a timely manner The district is also offering a $500 incentive to employees to retire early a practice that was started last school year when the district began cutting positions Reveles told the board the district’s financial turmoil could have been avoided had voters approved bond proposals in 2021 and 2022 to build new schools to attract new students and stave off declining enrollment “We’ve been talking about this for several years now predicting that we would be here,” Reveles said during the meeting “We told the community we would be looking at fiscal problems with the district if we didn’t act quickly.” Last May, Canutillo ISD voters approved a $387 million bond proposal to replace some of its older campuses with new schools in growing neighborhoods and renovate existing ones After operating under a budget deficit for the last two years the district has eaten away at its reserves While a loan isn’t being considered at this time board members asked how much it would take to cover payroll for July August and September if need while it waits for a scheduled payment from the state What changes is the district considering?The district is considering eliminating various education programs and laying off employees who teach them including its Montessori classes and elementary music classes It’s also considering cutting the pre-K-3 program which is based on a philosophy that focuses on self-discovery and emotional well-being and changing its Career Technical Education Program trustees heard a presentation from the Texas Association of School Boards on a staffing review study comparing Canutillo ISD to the state average TASB recommended the board cut two employees from the financial services department four from the technology department and four non-campus clerical positions This would save the district $470,000 a year Staff said the district is going to look at employees’ qualifications including test scores; their duties; professional background and seniority when deciding who might be laid off Canutillo ISD may also move students from Davenport Elementary to Bill Childress Elementary while the district rebuilds the campus District officials said Canutillo ISD had been in good financial standing for years until it began dealing with declining enrollment increases in health care costs and demographic shifts that caused losses in federal funding to support certain groups such as low-income and Spanish-speaking students Data presented by TASB on Tuesday show enrollment in Canutillo ISD declined from 6,250 during the 2019-20 school year to just over 5,700 during the 2024-25 school year the district is expected to lose another 120 students in the coming school year on top of stagnant state funding that has not increased the basic allotment of $6,160 per student since 2019 left the district operating under a budget deficit in recent years our funding continues to be an issue,” Reveles told El Paso Matters before the meeting “The cost of operations have increased by 20% in inflation and yet the state continues to provide the same allotment to us as they did in 2019 so we continue to have to do more with less.” The district adopted a balanced budget every year between the 2018 and 2023 fiscal years according to a budget presentation given to the board during the meeting it ended the fiscal year with a budget deficit of $1.2 and $4.4 million The district adopted a budget with a $3 million deficit for the 2024 fiscal year but ended it with a $1.1 million surplus after it sold a portion of its central office building to the Texas Department of Transportation The board adopted a $67.9 million budget with a $2.75 million deficit for the current fiscal year The deficit is expected to grow to $5.8 million by the end of the school year due to decreased enrollment decreased property tax collections and increasing property values that make the district “property rich,” requiring it to start sending money back to the state to help fund “property poor” districts This will leave the district with $7.65 million in reserves District policy requires it to have enough reserves to operate for 90 days and needs at least 75 days to get an A in the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas the district expects its reserves to drop to $460,000 enough to operate the district for two days the district expects to adopt a $67.8 million budget with a $6.4 million deficit during the coming school year Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Canutillo Independent School District is no longer under investigation for the purchase of the Bean Horse Farm The land was acquired at the end of 2024 and was intended to be the construction site of a new middle school the Board of Trustees accepted the purchase of the farm after Superintendent Dr Pedro Galaviz signed a contract to buy the land in November According to a statement from Canutillo ISD the Texas Education Agency’s Compliance Review Unit cleared the district in its investigation RELATED:Superintendent under fire as Canutillo community questions land acquisition transparency the TEA’s Director of the Special Investigations Division said in the statement that an investigation began after receiving a complaint from a community member Segovia said that as part of the TEA review which included responses from the District and other documentation Canutillo ISD showed that it complies with program and statutory requirements The new $106-million middle school will be built on the Bean Farm at the intersection of Artcraft and Upper Valley roads Construction is expected to take about three years RECOMMENDED: Firefighters battle heavy fire in empty Las Cruces building for 25 minutes Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Texas Department of Public Safety troopers are looking for an alleged gang member after he fled following a pursuit near Canutillo on Thursday afternoon Troopers attempted to stop a white Ford Equinox for equipment and traffic violations on I-10 eastbound near mile marker 3 troopers found the abandoned Ford in a desert area between the Outlet Mall and Canutillo Elementary School Reports of two people running through school property led to lockdowns at Lone Star The lockdown ended at approximately 2:56 PM after the Troopers cleared the area A bag found in the white Ford contained the driver's inmate ID Acosta has an outstanding warrant for vehicle theft and now faces charges of Evading Arrest in El Paso County Acosta is a suspected member of the Crucés Boyz gang If anyone has tips or knows the whereabouts of Acosta contact DPS: at 915-849-4000 RECOMMENDED: El Paso man arrested for raping, beating woman at a Northeast smoke shop Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Canutillo Independent School District (CISD) is grappling with a significant budget shortfall prompting officials to consider difficult cuts to avoid a potential $6.4 million deficit district officials received a formal presentation from the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) outlining potential areas for budget reductions "We've had to live in a leaner manner We've had to go without," acknowledging the ongoing financial challenges We are going to have to make some very difficult decisions because of that." CISD currently has a $5.8 million budget deficit but must now make cuts to avoid the growth of that deficit to $6.4 million The presentation suggested cuts across various departments The TASB analyzed several areas for possible reduction and gave the following recommendations: These recommended cuts would save the district approximately $470,000 Karen Dooley from the Texas Association of School Boards highlighted that 85% of the district's budget is allocated to payroll "Everything's on the table right now," said Reveles "It doesn't mean that this is gonna happen It just means that they need to understand where our funds go what they do and what the impact is to our children." Board Vice President Lily Maldonado expressed her opposition during the district's discussion of the its current budget situation Maldonado stated that one of the recommendations given to her by the district to cut fine arts programs was something she strongly opposed "I'm not in favor of eliminating the music at elementary sometimes this is a motivator." She emphasized Pedro Galaviz acknowledged the potential impact on students "If you're facing a $5.89 budget The board is expected to make a decision on the proposed cuts by the end of March or the beginning of April Canutillo ISD's superintendent, Dr. Pedro Galaviz, addressed the district's budget deficit in February by releasing the statement below: Canutillo ISD isn't the only school district within El Paso county facing difficult financial situations In February, the Socorro ISD school board voted to lay off 300 district employees which will include teachers and staff The decision will also effect several programs including elementary school fine arts programs In November of last year, El Paso ISD's school board voted to shut down eight elementary schools to combat it's own budget shortfall In February, Ysleta ISD's superintendent spoke with KFOX14/CBS4 to discuss a potential $25 million loan to combat its own budget shortfall as well Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Canutillo Independent School District is taking significant steps to address a nearly $6 million budget deficit announcing workforce reductions across the district The decision was made during a board meeting on Tuesday night where officials outlined plans to reduce the deficit from $5.8 million to $2.3 million The district attributed the financial shortfall to a combination of factors Eleven programs were initially considered for cuts and restructuring that would including: central office/departments Deanna Davenport Elementary campus closure the board decided to preserve the counseling program citing their importance for maintaining quality education we find ourselves in that situation where we need to face a reduction in force because of the lack of state funding the price of for employees insurance has gone up." and these items were what the board decided that should not be part of the reduction in force and should remain as part of the At the meeting the district emphasized that addressing the budget deficit will be an ongoing effort with board members planning to revisit the issue to tackle the remaining shortfall RECOMMENDED:Canutillo ISD faces potential bankruptcy amid severe budget deficit, warns superintendent RECOMMENDED: CanutilIo ISD faces financial crunch: budget cuts loom amid shortfall Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox. Weather Maps RadarCanutillo parents protest proposed cuts to school nursing staffby Harrison Parker Texas (KFOX14) — Parents and nurses voiced strong opposition at the Canutillo Independent School District's board meeting over proposed cuts to the district's nursing staff The board is considering replacing higher-credentialed registered nurses (RNs) with less-qualified expressed concern for her child's health needs indicated that the proposed changes might lead him to remove his children from the district "Yes if this does pass we have strongly considered removing our daughter from the district and our son from the district Just because we know we can move them to send them to school within EPISD that has adequate training," Day said The proposed plan would reduce the number of RNs to three for the entire district According to Texas Health and Human Services RNs can provide more extensive and independent care whereas LVNs generally require supervision Engstrom highlighted the challenges of managing her child's diabetes "Managing diabetes and blood sugar varies from day to day and following a prescribed plan will not not work for my child she’ll have soaring blood sugar and crashing lows depending on her day to day activity acknowledged the community's concerns We want to make sure the state comes through with the funding that is necessary We have not had an increase in state funding in five years," Reveles said Many parents are considering moving their children to other districts or homeschooling if the changes are implemented Day suggested alternative budget adjustments but I’m sure that they could cut funding or raise funding money other way to offset some of those costs Because a nurse’s salary is not going to make or break a district but the care that the kids are going to not receive is going to be crucial to the safety and health and wellbeing of our children." the district plans to prioritize schools with more special education students for RN placement RELATED: El Paso ISD considers health insurance changes amid rising costs Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The financial strain on school districts in El Paso continues to deepen as the Canutillo Independent School District (CISD) becomes the latest to announce impending budget cuts The district is grappling with reduced funding from the state of Texas which has not increased its public school funding formula since 2019 "We are seeing our budgets really shrink and we're having to deal with that that means we have to tighten our belts in a way that is more than needed." RELATED:El Paso area school districts reveal financial status amid state funding concerns Superintendent Pedro Galaviz warned of "difficult decisions ahead" as the district reviews program and staffing needs We have made sure that we are considering every cost-saving opportunity that we have And those include cutting central office budgets cutting central office staff like we did last year." The budget crisis is not unique to Canutillo the Socorro Independent School District laid off 300 employees Ysleta Independent School District announced it would need a loan by August and El Paso Independent School District decided last year to close eight schools from hearing from the Socorro ISD and if that happens to us I hope that we fight just as much as Socorro." The Texas Legislature is currently discussing public school funding but districts are still operating under a budget that has not been adjusted for inflation or other rising costs since 2019 "Think of everything that has happened since 2019 All of this is being funded through the same formula and the state has refused even though it has billions of dollars in surplus money has refused to increase that formula." Some parents are urging the district to explore other cost-saving measures before making cuts that could impact students and teachers "I don't think they should cut teachers," while another parent added "I hope they just do the best thing that they can for the teachers and for the students and maybe make budget cuts in other places if they can." "Our goal here is not to impact the classroom but unfortunately we know that because our budget is 85% salaries in the bulk of our budget is our personnel that we're gonna have to take a look at that." RELATED: Socorro ISD votes 3-2 to reduce staff, larger class sizes, fine arts program cuts CISD says they will be holding a public workshop with its school board to discuss its budget challenges and potential cuts and other community members are invited to the workshop that will take place on Tuesday March 4 at 5:00 p.m at the district's board room at 7965 Art Craft Road To contact CISD board members regarding the potential cuts and budget information Youread Superintendent Galaviz's full letter below: Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Investigators are looking into a scene in Canutillo after a man was rushed to the hospital with multiple injuries deputies responded to the area of Doniphan Drive and Los Mochis Avenue regarding a welfare check EPCSO said deputies discovered an injured man who was then taken to the University Medical Center by first responders the EPCSO's Major Crimes Unit took over the scene to continue the investigation RECOMMENDED: Gas line hit by construction crews closes Executive at Mesa in El Paso KFOX14/CBS4 cameras captured what appears to be investigators taking photographs of an orange pickup truck connected to the incident This is a developing story; check back for updates RECOMMENDED:Fire displaces families in northeast apartment complex Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Canutillo Independent School District is dealing with a significant budget deficit the district will have a special board meeting to address potential cost-saving measures Superintendent Pedro Galaviz recently informed the community of the district's financial challenges which include a projected multimillion-dollar deficit said they have already implemented cuts to central office budgets and staff According to the presentation prepared for the meeting the district anticipates a $7.7 million deficit for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and a $6.4 million deficit for the following year Reveles emphasized that the district is reluctant to impact classrooms but noted that 85% of the budget is allocated to salaries The district attributes its financial struggles to multiple factors like declining enrollment "Our goal is to be able to find solutions to our budget issues without having to resort to the most drastic situations the most drastic issues that are impacting our sister school districts," said Reveles "But we know the reality of it is that we might have to discuss those possibilities." "We have to put everything on the line It does not mean that we're going to follow through The meeting will take place at Canutillo ISD Administration Office located at 7965 Artcraft RECOMMENDED:CanutilIo ISD faces financial crunch: budget cuts loom amid shortfall RECOMMENDED: Socorro ISD begins process to lay off 300 employees amid financial crisis Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Canutillo Independent School District has announced it will not proceed with plans to cut registered nursing positions a decision made as part of efforts to address the district's budget deficit The school board had been considering replacing registered nurses with licensed vocational nurses but ultimately voted to retain the current nursing staff READ MORE:Canutillo parents protest proposed cuts to school nursing staff Parents expressed concerns about the potential impact on children with medical conditions "Managing diabetes and blood sugar varies from day to day and following a prescribed plan will not work for my child emphasized the importance of maintaining nursing staff but the care that the kids are going to not receive is going to be crucial to the safety and health and well-being of our children." district schools with children who have health issues will be prioritized with additional nurses some of whom will oversee the licensed vocational nurses they hire RECOMMENDED: El Paso ISD considers health insurance changes amid rising costs Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Residents of a Canutillo neighborhood are raising concerns about the local school district's plan to purchase a horse farm for a new middle school The Canutillo Independent School District (CISD) Board of Trustees finalized the $6.2 million acquisition of the Johnny Bean Horse Farm during a board meeting Community members claim the district was not transparent in its decision-making process an attorney representing some concerned residents "It doesn't matter if it's the result of an oversight Neighbors living near the horse farm were worried about the impact on traffic and emergency response in the area "We're concerned about egress and ingress if a middle school is being built on that street emergency vehicles being able to go in that street." The district maintains that the land acquisition was communicated to the public as part of a bond measure A spokesperson for CISD stated that they have hosted and welcomed the public to community meetings since January RECOMMENDED: El Paso City Council approves changes to noise ordinance after years of debate CISD spokesperson Gustavo Reveles admitted that Superintendent Galaviz signed off on the purchase before the board's third required approval "That decision should have come for a third vote to the board of trustees and the superintendent misunderstood the direction of the board and signed for the purchase of the land for the construction of that school," Reveles said Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox. Weather Maps RadarCanutillo ISD appoints Fernando R Martinez as new police chiefby Erika Esquivel Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Canutillo Independent School District announced on Wednesday their new police chief Martinez was appointed as the Canutillo ISD Police Chief Chief Martinez will join the district on April 7 Martinez recently retired as the Chief Deputy from the Bexar County Constable Precinct 4 Office in the San Antonio area His experience in law enforcement spans more than 25 years Chief Martinez has a Master Peace Officer Certification and is a certified police officer instructor with a background in school safety homeland security support and evidence management RECOMMENDED: LEGO Education president visits New Mexico school district to observe innovative learning Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A Canutillo family has reportedly lost everything after a massive house fire Friday evening According to the West Valley Fire Department Fire Chief Bill Adler and while no injuries were reported the inhabitants apparently lost all their belongings to the flames and the heat Adler said the fire was knocked down in a little over 30 minutes fire crews arrived nine minutes later at 6:17 p.m and the flames were extinguished at 6:43 p.m Adler said they are going to contact the Red Cross to help the inhabitants get back on their feet after reportedly losing everything RECOMMENDED: Serious multi-vehicle crash on I-10 west near Van Horn 2024): The purchase was approved last night EDITOR’S NOTE - The original version of this story incorrectly stated the lot was 6 acres Texas (KVIA) -- An online petition is calling for Canutillo Independent School District Superintendent Dr after taxpayers and one board trustee say he bought property without board approval It's straddled by Strahan Road to the east District plans show it would be the site of the new Canutillo Middle School The funds come from the Canutillo ISD Bond The petition alleges Galaviz spent more than $6 million to buy the farm without board oversight, and adds the public had little to no say in the plan According to the deed found in public records Canutillo business owners and taxpayers Jami and Chris Stewart are the ones who created the petition to suspend Galaviz It currently has more than 200 signatures Stuart says the district didn’t give them opportunities to voice their concerns with the proposed location for the new Canutillo Middle School They own property that borders the 57 acre lot "Why weren't we allowed to go protest or anything I didn't want the Johnny Bean Horse Farm to be turned into a school," he said Stewart says the narrowness of Strahan Road would lead to "horrible traffic congestion" if a school was to be built there Canutillo ISD spokesman Gustavo Reveles says the Stewarts’ statements about a lack of public input are false He provided ABC-7 presentations from various district meetings held in October An October report from consultants Procedeo shows the property was in escrow at that time He also said the public was invited to "design" meetings and showed us notices sent via email to residents in the district However, no mention of the Johnny Bean Farm is shown anywhere in these notices, nor on notices posted to social media Reveles doubled down when we asked him about this saying "if you were a community member you could have learned at any of the meetings we’ve shared with you Additionally you could have attended a Canutillo Bond Advisory Committee meeting." The purchase also caught Canutillo ISD trustee Breanne Barnes by surprise She disclosed to ABC-7 that she's an employee of Chris and Jami Stewart In a statement where she explicitly states she’s speaking on her behalf and not for other board members She adds "when I became aware of the land acquisition from various community members I was in shock because the final approval was never voted on by the board It is completely unacceptable that our superintendent and bond management team did not follow the legal procedures before spending millions of tax payer dollars." The statement continues "I feel like now we are going to be strong-armed into voting yes for the ratification regardless of if we want the property or not We are paying Procedeo Group $12M to be our bond management team to make sure that the whole process is completed ethically and transparently This land acquisition is the exact opposite of that," said the statement she asked Superintendent Galaviz on December 2nd if they had purchased the land "It didn’t have to come before the board to vote for final approval of cost and such?" she asks in the email to Galaviz "Board authorized administration to make the deal on bond properties," saying they did it during a meeting on June 10 ABC-7 reviewed that very board meeting to see what exactly was voted on The board authorized the Superintendent and the district's consulting group Procedeo to issue letters of intent for potential properties "Based on recommendations from the non-binding letters of intent will be issued and any further discussion regarding price terms of the acquisition will come back to the full board for its consideration," said a speaker to the board right before a unanimous vote was made Superintendent Galaviz admitted he made a mistake District spokesman Gustavo Reveles told ABC-7 the superintendent "acknowledges that procedural oversights occurred in the finalization of the contract due to misinterpretation of board meeting meetings." He added “legal counsel and other experts have determined that all steps taken were done in good faith with the belief that the transaction was ready to be completed.” Barnes told ABC-7 she filed a complaint with the Texas Education Agency over the purchase The Board of Trustees will meet on December 17th We have reached out to all other Canutillo ISD board members Board President Armando Rodriguez told ABC-7 sides with the district on their position We'll update you right here as we hear back from the rest of the trustees You can count on ABC-7 to bring you their decision KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KVIA-TV FCC Public File | FCC Applications | Do Not Sell My Personal Information The Canutillo Independent School District is considering layoffs and program cuts after discussing their budget for the 2025-26 school year board members discussed efforts to save costs Those all impact school districts just like they impact families," said Gustavo Reveles "So the state is basically telling us to fund our school systems in our schools with the same budget that we had in 2019." A budget update presentation in their agenda shows that 85% of the budget is allocated to payroll costs 51% of it is distributed to teacher payroll "My concern is that the campus should always come first and central office," said Armando Rodriguez there's going to be some tough decisions that are going to have to be made." cost-saving options included increasing class sizes a hiring freeze of non-essential employees implementing a student programming assessment Canutillo ISD is the second school district in El Paso to publicly discuss plans of layoffs the second largest school district the county announced in February their plan to layoff their employees "What we need the community to understand is that the state has put us in this position But the state has not done its part in funding us appropriately." The district gets funded for every student that attends their schools they receive less money from the state to maintain their schools We have been serving our community well academically And some people don't like that," he added "They don't like it because they want to privatize public education And in regards to Trump's plan to "dismantle" the Department of Education… "We do know that we get federal support and federal funding for things like Title I and special education These are some of our of our most vulnerable populations," Reveles continued "So we need to figure out how that impacts us." The board will meet again on March 25 to further discuss the budget consideration and vote on the layoffs Texas (KVIA) -- Canutillo High School will not have class Thursday 2025 due to a water main break caused by construction on campus District officials say the break happened this afternoon "All morning activity at Canutillo High School including classes and extracurricular activities will be either canceled or rescheduled," district officials stated this evening "Staff will receive reporting instructions from the campus." Weather Maps RadarMan arrested for burglary after stealing Twisted Teas from Canutillo Family Dollarby Renne Estrada Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with burglary and criminal mischief for stealing two Twisted Teas and damaging the front door of a Family Dollar in Canutillo On Tuesday deputies were dispatched to the Family Dollar located at 6794 Doniphan Dr after the store's alarm was set off According to a statement from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office When deputies arrived at the store they noticed the front glass door was broken After reviewing the store's security cameras deputies searched the area and located Morales who wore the same clothing as shown in the surveillance footage it was determined that the damage Morales caused to the glass door was estimated to be $1,200 Morales was taken into custody and booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility RECOMMENDED: Deputies apprehend fugitive in east El Paso after one-hour standoff Texas (KVIA) - Parents and their students explored classrooms and learned about program offered at elementary schools for Kinder and Pre-Kindergarteners Canutillo Independent School District also hosted a ribbon cutting for their new Hatch Hubs These areas area available at every elementary school in the district and provide hands-on learning areas to help younger students become engaged in learning Parents were also able to speak with teachers about classroom activities programs and learning opportunities for their youngest students Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A national juggernaut of the nonprofit thrift store industry set up shop at a Canutillo high school on Friday offering students with special needs the opportunity to develop valuable job skills The Canutillo Independent School District hosted a grand opening Friday for a student-run Goodwill store at Canutillo High School The store -- part ofGoodwill Industries of El Paso's Employment Development Services (EDS) program and developed in conjunction with CISD -- will offer students in the special education program job skills and real-world experience ahead of graduation the students will gain hands-on training in retail operations “We are incredibly proud to be part of this groundbreaking initiative,” said Canutillo ISD Superintendent Dr “The Employee Development Service Goodwill store will not only empower our special-education students by providing them with essential life and job skills but will also foster a sense of independence and confidence as they prepare for their future careers.” CEO of Goodwill Industries of El Paso echoed the sentiment “This partnership with Canutillo ISD represents the core of what Goodwill stands for -- transforming lives through the power of work We are honored to support these students as they embark on their journey toward personal and professional growth.” students who have gone through the EDS program at other districts have found work at places like Walgreens the only thing that's really different is the product that they sell," said Jordan "So they're prepared to go into the workforce with all the experience that they need to operate a business in a retail environment." RECOMMENDED:Lizbeth Avila Skatepark breaks ground, honoring El Paso skateboarder's memory all the store's proceeds will be reinvested into the program A Goodwill donation bin will be housed at the Canutillo High School campus to support the training store "We encourage people to come to the store here on the campus of Canutillo High School and find your treasure here," said Jordan "And help these students experience what it's like to work in a retail environment." CISD's Goodwill store will be open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m RECOMMENDED:El Paso teen receives dream bedroom makeover from Make-a-Wish Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Canutillo Independent School District is updating the community on significant projects funded by bond money approved by voters in 2024 The projects include the relocation and reconstruction of Alderete and Canutillo Middle Schools and the Northwest Early College High School the district's HVAC system will be upgraded RECOMMENDED: Superintendent under fire as Canutillo community questions land acquisition transparency Officials reported that only about 10 percent of the projects have been completed so far they were approved by the voters in May of 2024," said Gustavo Reveles "We want to hear from them so that the architects take this information and once they finalize the drawings that there's the voice of the communities in there." The district announced it will hold community meetings every three months to keep the community updated on these projects Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Students will now be able to play and practice baseball at night in the Canutillo High School baseball and softball fields the Canutillo Independent School District had a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the upcoming installation of lights in the baseball and softball fields at Canutillo High School-- the first project to come out of the district's $386 million bond that voters approved in May will take three months and will be completed by early February of 2025 when the softball and baseball season starts "We are thrilled to kick off the construction phase of our Bond program and to be on a timeline that will allow us to deliver these improvements to our students and families in a prompt manner,” said Superintendent Dr “The installation of this lighting system will allow us to schedule evening games for baseball and softball which will no longer require us to pull kids from afternoon classes so they can compete at home.” RELATED:Canutillo voters narrowly approve $386 million school bond amid tax concerns KFOX14/CBS4 spoke with a Canutillo HS student-athlete Senior Ian Melendez who has played varsity baseball for all four years and baseball since he was six he's excited that-- since they will now be able to play in the evenings-- games won't interfere with his school work so we had to leave class right after lunch warm up and then I would leave with extra homework to do," Melendez said no homework and just play the best we can." "Playing under the lights is one of the best things in sports," adding that he believes evening games will likely bring in more fans RECOMMENDED:Canutillo ISD adopts lower tax rate for 2024, but higher home valuations mean bigger bills the project is part of the more than $16.5 million in investments made by the Bond at Canutillo High School The district also said that all the Canutillo Bond projects are being managed by PROCEDEO Group a group they said is a nationally recognized bond program management company Canutillo High School is located at 6675 S Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox Texas (KVIA) -- A spokesperson for Canutillo Independent School District says that the Texas Education Agency's (TEA) Compliance Review Unit has cleared the district through an investigation into the purchase of the Bean Horse Farm The district approved the purchase of the farm in December 2024 after the superintendent had signed the contract to buy the land in November 2024 The TEA launched its investigation after receiving an allegation of impropriety from a community member TEA Director of Special Investigations Division Richard Segovia said The state informed the district of the investigation's findings through an official statement last week The district is planning to build its new $106 million Canutillo Middle School campus on the farm which is located at the intersection of Artcraft and Upper Valley roads the TEA Compliance Review Unit (CRU) has determined that the school entity has addressed the reported concern(s) that were within the jurisdiction of TEA and no further actions will be taken at this time,” the district quoted from Segovia's official statement The real reason Cooper rolled to the area round of the UIL playoffs and ended another superb Canutillo season was simpler and less heartbreaking on Thursday night which showed up in the final 25 minutes when they scored the final five touchdowns More: Class 5A Division II playoff bracket then they just wore us down," Canutillo coach Scott Brooks said after his team finished its season 9-2 "Our d-line is undersized and they got after us They got an onside kick (early in the second half) Canutillo scored on its second snap of the game when sophomore backup quarterback Cesar Huerta forced into action in Week 8 because of an injury to starter Matthew Gasca found Eduardo Carrillo with a perfect 83-yard bomb but that was half their points and much of their offense on this night In the second half the Eagles had one first down which came on a broken-play scramble after a botched punt Canutillo took a 14-3 lead late in the first half Cooper got a touchdown back with 59 seconds left in the second quarter got the first touchdown of the second half then recovered an onside kick and scored again By then the Pirates' domination had started I was so impressed with them and how they do things," Cooper coach Chip Darden said You have to make some plays and they were making them in the first half but I thought our team settled down and played good football Canutillo gained 203 yards in the first half but just managed 13 in the second Cooper's progress was the opposite of that as it mustered one field goal on its first five possessions before taking Canutillo's measure and scoring touchdowns on five of its final six trips Carrillo lead the Eagles with three receptions for 120 yards while Huerta was 4-14 for 139 yards and two touchdowns the runner-up in District 1-5A Divison II behind Del Valle "We had to overcome some adversity," Brooks said you bring up a sophomore and he wins two games in a row for you ― the kids played well This shows you the difference between getting first and second in our district "The level of competition is a little bit different out there." The Eagles defense was efficient for the first 22 minutes of the first half but did allow a 73-yard Cooper drive in the 2-minute drill that clipped its lead to 14-10 at halftime he added a 19-yard touchdown to David Alvarado with 2:37 remaining in the second quarter which ended up being the first of a trade of touchdowns when the Pirates answered with 59 seconds left in the half On the play before a 2-yard Cooper touchdown run that made it 14-10 Canutillo committed a third-down pass interference in the end zone that converted a third-and-8 from the 17 The difference in the first half was a goal-line stand by the Eagles early in the second quarter as a first-and-goal from the 3 turned into a 24-yard field goal Up nextCooper will play either Prosper Walnut Grove or Arlington Seguin at a site and time to be determined next weekend Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Blanca Trout has resigned from the Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees effective immediately said she was resigning from the Board for personal reasons She also announced that she is withdrawing her candidacy in the upcoming Nov She was one of 10 candidates vying for four spots on the Canutillo school board “On behalf of the students and employees of the District I wish her well and thank her for her service to the Canutillo community,” said Superintendent Dr Armando Rodriguez shared the following statement: Her resignation comes just after last Friday's law enforcement presence was seen by our crews at her house The El Paso County Sheriff's Office told KFOX14/CBS4,"There are currently no updates concerning this investigation we will take all necessary precautions to ensure the integrity of the investigation remains uncompromised." It is unclear whether the situations are related last year Trout's husband,Edward Albert Trout When deputies arrived they found the elderly man dead inside his home RELATED:Homicide investigation launched after 82-year-old man found dead in Canutillo home RECOMMENDED:Autopsy reveals gunshot wound as cause of death for husband of Canutillo ISD Trustee Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Employees at Canutillo Independent School District are working proactively to address human trafficking CISD officials said they are noticing a trend at the state and national level and want to ensure their faculty is equipped to assist students who may be victims of human trafficking "We know there’s a rising concern about human trafficking and the impact it can have on teens and children so we wanted to make sure that we were armed with the tools necessary to cope with those issues," said Gustavo Reveles a spokesperson for CISD The initiative is part of an effort to get ahead of both a state and national problem RECOMMENDED:Santa Teresa agents find 17 migrants in tractor-trailer We can't say that we are seeing an increase of it," said Reveles "We’ve had this concern for several years and law enforcement partners we work with have brought it up as one of the rising trends across the country." The grant has allowed 20 CISD counselors and staff members to be trained not only to identify students who might be victims but also to support staff in addressing these sensitive situations "A lot of times our counselors might come across an instance of human trafficking and may not know what to do," said Reveles While the district has not seen a high number of human trafficking cases they anticipate the potential for more occurrences given the vulnerable populations they serve "Some of the more vulnerable populations include families that traditionally live in communities like ours We want to ensure that if families being trafficked—whether for sex work or otherwise—cross paths with our district we know how to handle it," said Reveles RECOMMENDED:Texas DPS chase ends tragically; innocent woman killed Texas (KVIA) -- The Texas Attorney General's Office on Friday sent a letter to Canutillo Independent School District's director of communications demanding he comply with the state's Public Information Act after failure to respond to open records requests –and even the attorney general’s own investigators “Due to the district’s pattern of non-response this office has determined the district failed to comply with the requirements of the Act in relation to the requests at issue,” the document stated Open Records Division Chief Tamara Smith told Canutillo ISD's communications director Gustavo Reveles her office received four complaints the school district isn't responding to open record requests "The Office of the Attorney General received complaints from multiple requestors alleging Canutillo Independent School District (the “district”) has failed to respond appropriately to various requests for information under the Public Information Act (the “Act”) chapter 552 of the Government Code," Smith wrote The letter lists four case numbers for complaints That complaint was filed with the Texas Attorney General's Office over a year ago after the district ignored our April 5 2023 request for videos of a suspected security incident at Canutillo High School It was determined to be a senior prank involving water guns students used in the school’s gym School officials said the incident happened on March 28 just one day after a school shooting in Nashville that left six dead Some students who witnessed the incident told ABC-7 The district said the prank violated school codes of conduct Another complaint was filed by government watchdog Max Grossman who requested the salaries of Canutillo ISD employees and an accounting of planned expenditures related to the $387 million bond the district was proposing at the time Grossman told ABC-7 the records were finally produced on May 10 far beyond the timeline dictated by Texas law he shared with reporters the same letter ABC-7 received from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office Open Records Division Chief Tamara Smith told Reveles her office has "sent letters to the district by mail and/or electronic mail informing the district of the complaints and requesting a response to assist us in resolving these matters." Smith also wrote to Reveles her office had reached out to the district by phone and "as of the date of this letter" hadn't "received a response stating the district will comply with the requests at issue." Under the Texas Public Information Act a governmental body has 10 days to release the information public information is supposed to be released promptly If a governmental body believes the information is not public under the law it can ask the Texas Attorney General's Office for an opinion ABC-7 reached out to the school district Friday and received the following written statement "The District will work with the Attorney General’s Office for an appropriate response to these issues The District continues to assert that it responded to media requests appropriately and that the records requests filed following the incident were non-responsive based on the open investigation at that time Canutillo ISD prides itself on being open and available to media We will continue our work to partner with journalists to help them fairly and accurately do their job." Reveles had told ABC-7 in 2023 the investigation was closed and the videos of the prank in the school gym existed Smith gave Reveles 60 days to take an “approved open records training course” and asked he send a certificate to her office upon completion Smith said if the district does not comply it will consider other options including filing a court request to compel the district to turn over the records Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A man was shot outside of a Whataburger by the Outlet Shoppes in Canutillo on Tuesday night Police officers responded to the shooting at 7057 S When officers arrived they found a man had been shot RECOMMENDED: The Hospitals of Providence opens advanced cardiac Cath Lab in El Paso TX (KVIA) — The Canutillo Independent School District will host a community meeting tonight to provide updates and gather input on their 2024 bond projects making it the largest per-capita bond ever approved in El Paso County The bond was approved by voters in May 2024 and it includes updates districtwide. The El Paso based architects will be at the meeting to show renderings Key projects under the bond include: As ABC-7 previously reported, the relocation of Canutillo Middle School to the Johnny Bean Horse Farm drew controversy after superintendent Pedro Galaviz approved the $6.6 million property purchase without board approval The school board later ratified the decision in December "Our desire through this bond is to be as transparent and open as possible and to really have meaningful community engagement so that trust that seemed to be an issue in the past is dealt with," Gustavo Reveles The new schools are set to be complete by 2027 "This is going to be transformative," said Reveles "We want schools that communities can be proud of and to really set the pace for what Canutillo will look like in the next 20 to 25 years." Tyaun Marshburn is a multimedia journalist Canutillo High School graduate LJ Martin earned the Alamo Bowl’s Offensive MVP award with 126 yards of total offense for Brigham Young in a 36-14 win vs Martin led 11-2 BYU in both rushing and receiving with 17 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns along with two receptions for 33 yards on Saturday Martin finished the season with 723 yards rushing seven rushing touchdowns and 98 yards receiving 225-pound sophomore also had a strong freshman year in 2023 with 518 yards rushing and four touchdowns Martin was a star at Canutillo High School rushing for 2,137 yards as a senior and 2,737 yards as a junior helping lead the team to the third round of the Class 5A More: Sun Bowl news Washington's Belichick, Carroll bring NFL roots to Sun Bowl against Louisville Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Higher home valuations threaten to negate a lower tax rate approved Tuesday by an El Paso County school district The Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday adopted a fiscal year 2024 tax rate of $1.1552 per $100 valuation marking a half-cent reduction from the tax rate set last year following higher home valuations from the El Paso Central Appraisal District (CAD) earlier this year the average homeowner could still see an increase in their school tax bill “We continue to be good stewards of the taxpayers in Canutillo and our tax rate continues to decrease because of the unprecedented growth our community is experiencing,” said Superintendent Dr “We had anticipated a slight increase in the tax rate because of the passage of the Bond in May but fortunately we were able to bring to the board a slight decrease.” or $0.0053 higher than the approved tax rate for this fiscal year the average cost of a home in Canutillo ISD went from$257,416 to $282,482 representing an average increase of $281 on most school tax bills teacher salaries and health insurance and campus maintenance Trustees earlier this summer approved an operating budget for Fiscal Year 2024 of $89.1 million RECOMMENDED:El Paso School District gets $1.6 million grant to enhance safety and facilities RECOMMENDED:San Elizario ISD, Project Vida partner up to help students be 'positive agents of change'