San Antonio's education landscape is contracting once more with the decision to shutter West Campus High School, the 18th institution this year that the scythe of budget deficits has cut down in the city. According to a report by Fox San Antonio, the South San Antonio ISD trustees cast their votes on Wednesday night, marking the end of the road for the high school at the start of the 2024-2025 year.
"Districts similar to us are seeing a decrease in enrollment. But I think it's not just impacting us but a lot of inner city school districts," Superintendent Henry Yzaguirre told Fox San Antonio. Amidst the turmoil, the emotions of the parents run high, as Priscilla Hernandez, a West Campus parent, condemned the decision, saying “I’m speaking on behalf of the community and the children on West Campus. You know it’s not the children’s fault that these decisions have been made,”
Fiscal responsibility was the clarion call of the night as tangible savings were promised by folding West Campus's student body into South San Antonio High School.“Any comprehensive high school is expensive. We have the capacity in the space and the staff to be able to support all of our students in one particular high school so there will be some substantial savings there alone,” Superintendent Yzaguirre said. Trustee Abel Martinez Jr. worried about the direction of the wind, prodded the Superintendent for a long-term plan to steady the financial ship.
Just last month, Edgewood ISD closed two of its campuses, and San Antonio ISD closed 15 schools and merged others, KSAT reported.
