SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Independent School District Board of Trustees is expected to vote on its 2024-2025 budget next month. School leaders said they’re faced with making “tough decisions.”
In a statement, SAISD said decreasing enrollment and dwindling state funds are two of the reasons the district is having difficult conversations about its budget. The board is expected to approve the budget on June 17.
This budget cycle comes after SAISD made a decision last fall to close 15 of its schools next school year under its rightsizing plan.
“The school district budgeting process is more arduous than usual this time,” SAISD board president Christina Martinez said in an emailed news release.
KSAT asked for an update interview with SAISD staff Thursday night about potential changes and cuts, but we have yet to hear back.
This spring, the district has considered cutting vacant openings, freezing “non-mission critical positions at the Central Office,” restructuring district-level staff, reducing workday calendars and decreasing some programming.
Some families across the district said it’s hard to hear more changes could be coming.
“We feel welcomed here and we belong here,” one mom of a Pershing Elementary student said. “Cutting the budgets for what? Why? Why aren’t we making more?”
Alejandra Lopez, the president of the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel, said she’s been closely monitoring these budget talks and wants clear communication ahead of the vote.
“The school closure process has been an incredibly challenging one,” Lopez said. “It is a really difficult situation.”
The district said it’s looking to be more efficient with its limited resources. That’s why it sold 12 acres of land on Lord Road to the City of San Antonio last month.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for SAISD said this sale might help the district save some money. Ultimately, the spokesperson said the sale wasn’t a part of the rightsizing efforts.
“While the sale of this undeveloped land may help with the budget, the sale amount is insignificant compared to our budget deficit and the loss of ESSER funding,” the SAISD spokesperson said. “We will continue to look for ways to increase our efficiencies.”
The board will have a budget workshop at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22.
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