SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio ISD Board of Trustees approved a resolution Tuesday night that calls for a “rightsizing” study that may result in the restructuring and closing of schools.
According to a news release, the study is being conducted for the purpose of supporting thriving schools, classrooms, students, teachers, and school leaders.
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“Rightsizing presents a unique opportunity to elevate the standard of education in our community,” SAISD Superintendent Dr. Jaime Aquino said. “Matching our school capacity with enrollment numbers will ensure that our schools are well-resourced and equitable, providing a robust learning environment for all our students.”
Aquino said the decision to conduct the study comes due to SAISD steadily losing enrollment for more than 20 years, which has led to under-enrolled schools and academic and financial program inequities.
The study will assess all of the district’s schools, analyze the student enrollment at each school, evaluate if SAISD is providing high-quality education as promised, consider whether the building is being used effectively, and determine whether resources are fairly distributed to support all students.
The district plans to host multiple meetings beginning in August. Recommendations from the study, if approved by the board, will go into effect for the 2024-2025 school year.
“There will be no impact to schools in the 2023-2024 school year,” Aquino said. “And before any recommendation is made, we will gather extensive feedback from our community. We will consider their input, and we will keep them informed so they have a full and transparent picture of the study.”
Aquino said some of the advantages of “rightsizing” include smaller class sizes, campuses having greater access to extraordinary academics, special education services, fine arts, and athletics, among other essential services such as social-emotional learning and mental health support.
For teachers who were the only educator at a campus for a grade level or subject, an advantage after “rightsizing” could be that they would have peer educators on the same campus for collaboration on curriculum. For students, an advantage could be that they experience a broader range of student interactions; and with more educator and staff support, they could receive more enrichment or intervention services based on their individual needs, the news release said.
Fewer school buildings could also mean there could be a safety and security officer at each campus to further enhance school safety.
“All of these advantages could lead to more thriving students and staff, and therefore, more thriving schools, and that is the ultimate goal of this study,” said Aquino. “We want, and we will, live up to our promise of an excellent education for all of our students.”
For more information about the study and its progress, click here.
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