Why are SAISD schools closing? Reason explored as move leaves staff and teachers staring at uncertain future

In a controversial decision, the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) has decided to close 15 schools and merge others after trustees voted in favor of the same on Monday, November 13, 2023. The proposal, called the "rightsizing plan" was recommended after a long trend of declining enrollment.

Talks of closure began in the summer, earlier this year, and in September, the district released a proposal to close 19 schools. The proposal was met with strong opposition from those in the community, including parents and teachers. After strong feedback from the community, they revised the list.

The board of trustees voted 5-2 to the measure, following over two hours of debates and public comments. The campuses chosen were based on a comparison of student enrollment in the said schools vs the cost to sustain them.

According to Axios, declining birth rates, and a lack of affordable housing in the San Antonio urban core have directly contributed to lower enrollments in the schools. They add that enrollment numbers in the school district have fallen from 53,000 in 2016 to 45,000 this year.

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SAISD School closures affect primarily Hispanic neighborhoods and areas with low-income families

Trustees Art Valdez, Christina Martinez, Alicia Sebastian, Leticia Ozuna, and Ed Garza voted for the decision, whereas Stephanie Torres and Sarah Sorensen voted against it. Torres and Sorensen unsuccessfully attempted twice to keep some schools out of the current closure list.

SAISD officials added that they plan to keep teachers as the average class size should not change. However, The San Antonio Alliance, the union representing support staff in the district, remarked that the board could have delayed its decision so that the trustees could come to a more informed conclusion.

The union was working with the SAISD to protect the jobs of its members. Alejandra Lopez with the alliance stated:

"We came out early saying no one should lose their job because of the school closure process. In the fall, we got that commitment from district leadership, from the superintendent and his team."

Lopez added that the SAISD also agreed to offer bonuses to those impacted by the closures.

Superintendent Jaime Aquino explained that the staff would follow students to campuses they would be attending. However, they also have the option to choose. Kim Aston, a longtime counselor at Lamar Elementary, one of the elementary schools that will close following this academic year, noted the impact of the move:

"I’m hurt because this was my home. I’ve been at Lamar since 1999... It’s like a small town here. It’s a tight-knit community. We know each other. We’re a generational school, and it’s hard to see it go."

Aquino explained that the school district has a transition team meeting the staff and teachers over the coming week.

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SAISD schools that are closing include Green Elementary School, Foster Elementary School, Knox Early Childhood Center, Forbes Elementary School, and Lamar Elementary School, among others. Schools that are expected to merge include campuses like Beacon Hill Dual Language Academy and Cotton Academy.

Baskin Elementary School and Carroll Early Childhood Center will be closed at a later date.

Before voting, district officials played a video of Aquino walking through the final recommendations in the plan, emphasizing that the "difficult decision" was "absolutely necessary for the academic and financial stability."