San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) Superintendent Jaime Aquino announced on a recent "bigcitysmalltown" podcast that as part of its downsizing, the district will lease closed school buildings to nonprofits for a "nominal fee," reported San Antonio Report. Aquino, who has been at the district's helm for nearly two years, shared on the podcast hosted by Bob Rivard their intentions to keep these spaces operational and beneficial to the community, stating, "maybe we're charging $10 a year, as long as they maintain all the operating costs and provide a service."
The closures, resulting from a continuous decline in enrollment that forced the SAISD to shutter 15 schools and merge others, are expected to affect thousands of students and families; however, a large majority of those affected have confirmed their decision to remain within the district, as per Texas Standard. Diane Fernandez, SAISD’s director of enrollment, mentioned in a board meeting that "Of the 4,652 [students] affected by rightsizing, they have all been contacted," with most of the families indicating their intention to continue their educational journey within SAISD despite the upheavals.
Schools that are set to receive students from the closing institutions have been actively engaging in initiatives titled Blending la Familia to cultivate a welcoming atmosphere, while the district's committee, comprised of 14 community members, deliberates over the future of the empty buildings, a decision that holds significant weight in the effort to mend relations with affected families and community members. Amid these transitions, Neil Gabrielson, a parent of two children at one of the closing schools, expressed his dismay over the district's recent shortcomings, including the failure to adequately heat schools during January's cold snap, by telling the board at a recent meeting, "It's been really difficult to remain a participant and even an advocate of this district given the events of the last four months, but this event made it even harder," as Texas Standard reported.
Meanwhile, Aquino who moved to the United States in 1987 and carved a path from a bilingual teacher in New York City to the current Superintendent in SAISD reflected on his journey and philosophy in education; "It is an honor of a lifetime to be able to serve as the teacher of teachers at SAISD," Aquino said on the podcast, expressing humility and dedication to the role even as he navigates the intricacies of district management and the repurposing of district resources to meet community needs according to a San Antonio Report interview.
