The Schools Our Students Deserve Coalition
San Antonio ISD has begun the process of rightsizing, which will lead to school closures. The School Our Students Deserve Coalition has outlined its positions to ensure that this process centers the needs of staff, students, families and communities.
Read our positions below, sign our Solidarity Commitment form, and attend a community meeting!
School Closures Have Negative Impacts on Students & Community
Across the United States, school closures have had significant negative impacts on student achievement, student mental health, and community life. School closures rarely deliver on the promises made when district plans are put into place. Students do not always attain higher levels of academic achievement following school closures–in fact, the opposite is often true. Plans for community centers, affordable housing, and the redevelopment of closed school buildings rarely materialize. School closures rarely deliver the monetary savings often cited as the primary motivating factors for closing schools.
Public Schools Belong To The People, And The People Should Decide
Decisions about school closures should be made by school communities. Parents/caregivers should make final decisions about school closures, consolidations, new school services, and new uses for closed school buildings. With a threshold of 67%, all parents/caregivers should vote for or against plans to close their schools and plans for new uses for closed school buildings. This threshold is in line with longstanding SAISD policy on voting for schools to become in-district charters.
We Should Achieve District Goals With The Minimum Number of School Closures Possible
To mitigate the negative consequences of school closures, SAISD should minimize the number of students, staff, and school communities impacted. By focusing on a small number of schools and delivering on their promises to students, families, school workers, and school communities, SAISD leaders can demonstrate both their commitment to our students and families, and to perfecting and fine-tuning a difficult process before engaging in further closures and consolidations as needed.
We Need Concrete, Measurable Goals For Improved Student, Family, and Educator Outcomes
Students, families, school workers, and community members need clear, concrete, comprehensive commitments for improved outcomes; investments to ensure that they take place; and metrics to measure their impact and hold district leaders accountable to their promises.
The Schools Our Students Deserve Coalition organizes for education justice in San Antonio ISD.
Sign our Solidarity Commitment Form below!
Our Positions on School Closures
-
If the SAISD Superintendent and Board of Trustees insist on closing schools, a robust, community-centered process must include the following:
Democratic decision-making. School communities should vote to close their schools, with at least 67% of school parents/guardians voting in favor of school closure–in line with SAISD requirements for creating in-district charter partnerships.
Minimum possible impact on students, families, and staff. We have heard as many as 30 SAISD schools could close next year. This number is far too high–constituting around one third of all district campuses. SAISD should close or consolidate the minimum possible number of schools to achieve district goals of increased savings and improved services for students. Closing a smaller number of schools will also allow SAISD to demonstrate that our district can follow through with its promises to students, families, and school workers before further closures and consolidations. Additionally, district leaders should guarantee that not one SAISD worker will lose their job as a result of this process.
Extended timeline for community engagement. A district-wide community conversation cannot take place between August and November of this year. SAISD should commit to a longer, year-long process that can engage our community in a deeper process that truly centers community voice and shared decision-making.
Clear metrics for success. SAISD leadership should make clear, measurable commitments for improved student, family, school worker, and community outcomes during this process. We call for the following to be included in district plans for a stronger SAISD:
Specific details of improved services for students at all SAISD schools.
Specific, measurable commitments to decreased class sizes across SAISD.
Specific, measurable commitments to increased planning and preparation time for SAISD school workers.
Specific, measurable commitments to improved enrollment, attendance, and graduation rates for all SAISD students.
Community Schools. Receiving schools should become community schools, offering increased wraparound services for students and families.
Green, healthy schools. SAISD campuses should be sustainable and healthy to improve student outcomes. This includes removing lead and asbestos, installing power-generating solar panels, reducing energy and water consumption, improving air quality, and investing in green transportation.
Worker standards for construction projects. District leadership should commit to binding worker standards for construction projects on all SAISD campuses, including guaranteed rest breaks, as well as adopting Davis-Bacon or establishing a living wage for every worker engaged in SAISD projects.
Clear, funded plans prior to school closures. SAISD must present clear plans for the future use of every building, with the total projected cost of projects, and an explanation of sources of capital investment for renovation.
Community decision-making on new use. School communities should decide on proposed new uses for all closed school buildings and should vote on their preferred plan for newly-empty school buildings.
Clear breakdown of costs. SAISD should provide a comprehensive breakdown of the cost of every closure, consolidation, or renovation project prior to public vote.