The San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) has embarked on an initiative to repurpose numerous school buildings which the district no longer needs following a wave of campus closures. Termed as "right-sizing" by the district, this process has made more than a dozen buildings redundant. As reported by News 4 San Antonio, the SAISD is consulting with a group, through a grant from the National Association of Realtors, to determine future uses for these vacant spaces.
In a recent development, as reported by KSAT, the SAISD commenced collaborations with The Counselors of Real Estate, also supported by a local grant from the San Antonio Board of Realtors. In their preliminary work, the consulting team has begun inspections of the schools and the surrounding neighborhoods. After concluding the first phase of evaluations, the Counselors of Real Estate promptly summarized their initial suggestions in a report to various district bodies.
The Superintendent of SAISD, Jaime Aquino, acknowledged the collaboration with the consulting experts, emphasizing the benefit to the community. "We are always learning, and I am grateful for our partners in this journey," Aquino said. "These experts have pushed my thinking on ways to make this process even better for our community. I value their insight and look forward to our continued work with them," he told KSAT.
The repurposing strategy intends to benefit the district in a twofold manner: facilities that are unfit for district purposes will be available for lease to external entities that address community needs. In a case showcasing this approach, the Tynan Early Childhood Education Center could potentially repurpose its space for the Ella Austin Community Center while it undergoes remodeling, as the city proposed in a meeting reported by KSAT in late May. The consulting team is scheduled to present their final report to the district within 60 days, providing a clearer roadmap for the future of these facilities.