San Antonio district ponders closing 16 more schools amid strained enrollment, budget shortfall 

To address a budget deficit of more than $20 million, one San Antonio district is taking steps toward closing “at least four campuses” or as many as 16 by the start of the next academic year, Hearst’s MySA reports.

“A plan will be recommended before the end of 2026,” a spokesperson for the North East Independent School District (NEISD) said. “We want to be thoughtful and take multiple factors into consideration. Our goal is to have plans for any closed schools ahead of time, so that we do not leave the community with empty buildings.”

To help minimize “the shocks of years past, when beloved community campuses were closed without much public say,” the district is seeking community feedback throughout the closure process, according to the article.

“To cut expenditures, a committee will review a list of 16 schools on the chopping block. The list was created by pulling schools with fewer than 450 students, utilization below 60% and a cost per student that was 5% above the district average or more.”

The district, which enrolls about 57,000 students across more than 70 schools, spends about $17,600 annually to teach every child, the article noted.

Rocky academic performance in San Antonio districts

San Antonio has faced other challenges with its districts recently, including a warning from the Texas Education Agency over “unacceptable performance,” which can eventually lead to a state takeover.

As previously reported by Heartlander News, five of these – San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD), Edgewood ISD, Northside ISD, Judson ISD and Harlandale ISD – had earned a failing rating for two or three consecutive years.

If a campus earns a “D” or “F” rating for five consecutive school years, the state education commissioner is legally required to take over by closing it entirely or replacing the elected school board with an appointed board of managers.

“We’re heading in the right direction,” said SAISD Superintendent Jaime Aquino. “But … we must accelerate our efforts.”

Meanwhile, parents from Edgewood ISD had been protesting the low ratings at school board meetings. One mom, Maribel Gardea, was arrested on charges of trespassing.

“In a statement before her arrest, Gardea said her organization has tried to communicate with district officials at least 40 times since October,” the San Antonio Report noted.

A judge later dismissed the charges after parents from Gardea’s group, MindShiftED, came to protest her arrest. The grassroots organization advocates for parents, including those impacted by school closures.

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