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San Antonio Report •

Bonds at East Central, other school districts failed across Texas. What happens now?

As leaders of the East Central Independent School District regroup from the failure of several big revenue-generating proposals on the Nov. 5 ballot, they now join a long list of Texas districts that face fewer and fewer options to support rapidly growing student growth. Across Texas, voters rejected 20 of 35 school district bond propositions put forward by 19 school districts this November — underscoring a broad skepticism about public school funding and echoing the increasing influence of stat...
San Antonio Report •

San Antonio districts don't always disclose superintendent contracts

Superintendents across San Antonio have had their contracts altered in recent months in various ways, including additional compensation, extended terms, and other changes shrouded in secrecy. But finding out what those changes are isn’t an easy task, and if you look at publicly available copies of the contracts, you may find outdated versions — raising concerns about transparency as districts face mounting scrutiny in a politically charged environment.The Edgewood Independent School District, fo...
San Antonio Report •

After election, Edgewood’s youngest trustee sees hope for change

When Michael Valdez visited Seguin High School in 2018, he was in awe of the shiny state-of-the-art facility, where he competed in the One Act Play competition.He was also disappointed when comparing the Seguin facilities built in the mid-2000s to those he attended in the Edgewood Independent School District, which was initially built in the 1950s.He internalized the frustration and, as a senior in high school, decided to throw his hat in the ring to serve on the board of trustees, where he hope...
San Antonio Report •

TEA to seek applicants for possible South San board replacements

The Texas Education Agency has begun the process of identifying prospective community members who would be willing to serve on a Board of Managers overseeing the South San Antonio Independent School District in place of elected trustees. Education Commissioner Mike Morath notified all board members in a letter Thursday that he is still conducting a “fact-finding review” into the actions and activities of the board over the last year, and has not yet determined whether a board will be appointed....
San Antonio Report •

South San conservator asks TEA to appoint a board of managers

A conservator overseeing the South San Antonio Independent School District is recommending that state-appointed managers replace the elected board of trustees following a year of continued governance issues and infighting. Abe Saavedra, who was appointed last year as part of an agreement to delay the severe action by the state agency, sent a letter to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath Thursday morning, which was obtained by the San Antonio Report. “A Board of Managers will facilitate a cl...
San Antonio Report •

State Board of Education seat remains in Democrat hands after razor-thin race

The State Board of Education will remain in conservative hands after Tuesday night’s election, even as a Democrat narrowly eked out a victory in District 1, which represents a swath of West and Central Texas, including El Paso and a small portion of Bexar County.Republican candidate Michael Stevens, a San Antonio Independent School District administrator, took an early lead in the race Tuesday night, which narrowed in the wee hours of Wednesday morning when El Paso school communications professi...
San Antonio Report •

East Central ISD leaders regroup after voters reject bond, tax increase

Leaders of the East Central Independent School District are regrouping the day after voters roundly rejected a tax increase and a trio of bond issues intended to repair aging sports facilities and build new schools to keep up with explosive growth.“We didn’t get the result we hoped for, but we look forward to reengaging with our Facilities Committee and gather[ing] additional feedback from the broader community,” Superintendent Roland Toscano said in a statement. “As a fast-growing district, we...
San Antonio Report •

San Antonio Republican takes early lead in razor-thin Texas State Board of Education race

As votes began to roll in Tuesday night, San Antonio educator Michael Stevens, a Republican, took an early narrow lead against El Paso school communications professional Gustavo Reveles, a Democrat, for the District 1 position on the State Board of Education.With 184 of 691 precincts reporting, Stevens held just 54% of the vote, while Reveles held 46%.The results, if they hold steady, would bolster the conservative majority on the board, flipping a seat previously held by Democrat Melissa Ortega...
San Antonio Report •

Early voters signal rejection of East Central ISD's proposed bond

Early election returns show that voters in the East Central Independent School District are likely to reject a handful of bond issues and a tax increase, potentially dashing plans for rapid expansion district leaders say is needed to keep up with population growth. The district’s 11,176 student enrollment is expected to grow to 25,617 by 2033, according to district officials. The bond issues, if passed, would bolster growth that has already been happening in the district, according to East Centr...
San Antonio Report •

San Antonio students get a crash course in democracy

At Carvajal Elementary School in San Antonio, two bearded dragons named Eevee and Charizard are locked in a fierce battle for the title of “Master Pet of Carvajal Elementary.”The mock election, which will take place at the school tomorrow on Election Day, has captivated students, who have campaigned for their candidates with enthusiasm and positivity. While no reliable polling has been released in the weeks leading up to the ballots being cast, the second-grade class that has led bearded dragon...
San Antonio Report •

DoSeum to relaunch exhibit on race and empathy in 2025

The DoSeum, San Antonio’s interactive children’s museum on Broadway, is bringing back an exhibit exploring race, unity and empathy for young audiences next year that initially debuted in 2022. The initiative, which was launched in the wake of national protests following the death of George Floyd, will also provide teaching materials with the support of a grant from the Smithsonian — key in a state where lawmakers have curtailed the teaching of race and racism in public schools.  The exhibit, tit...
San Antonio Report •

Massive TAMUSA child care facility will break ground in 2025

A new 25,000-square-foot early childhood education facility that will serve around 200 children on the South Side of San Antonio is set to break ground in January after years of planning and discussion.The Educare San Antonio initiative joins over two dozen others nationwide and is designed to help fill a need in one of the city’s many “child care” deserts, where there are far fewer quality child care slots than needed. The school will also be a teaching model, allowing area early childhood educ...
San Antonio Report •

Edgewood ISD leader pledges his own money for new scholarship

The superintendent of the Edgewood Independent School District plans to fund a scholarship for the top students at each of the district’s three high schools using his own money to ease the financial burden for first-generation college students. The “Dr.  Eduardo Hernández Complete the Dream Scholarship” was announced at a recent board meeting and comes a month after trustees approved a contract extension for the leader and gave him a raise.Lauren Blevins, a district spokeswoman, declined to prov...
San Antonio Report •

The Mesquite at TAMUSA secures $50K Press Forward grant

Local news in the greater San Antonio area is getting a boost, with the next generation of storytellers at Texas A&M University-San Antonio winning a competitive $50,000 grant to expand its student news publication and fund paid internships at area news outlets. Ten other news publications in Texas received funding from the Press Forward initiative, including San Antonio-based Deceleration, a nonprofit online publication focused on ecological and cultural crises, and the Uvalde Leader-News.Press...
San Antonio Report •

Green Elementary is lone San Antonio school to earn Blue Ribbon

In early November, a handful of San Antonio school leaders will make their way to Washington, D.C., to celebrate the designation of Robert B. Green Elementary at Riverside Park as a Blue Ribbon school — the only campus in the city to earn the coveted designation this year. The school joins only 356 others across the country to earn the honor given by the U.S. Department of Education, 31 of which are in Texas. The Blue Ribbon designation is given to the highest performing schools across the natio...
San Antonio Report •

San Antonio students compete in Final Four reading challenge

Hundreds of third graders chanted with glee as the Spurs Coyote bounded across the stage of the Magik Theatre downtown Thursday morning, kicking off a regional reading challenge ahead of the return of the NCAA Final Four games to San Antonio next year.The students wore matching blue shirts and came from 20 school districts, including private and charter schools. They gathered with teachers and district superintendents, cheering as they heard from community leaders about the importance of reading...
San Antonio Report •

4 education races to watch on the Nov. 5 ballot in Bexar County

The future of public education looms large over the November 2024 election in Texas, where state lawmakers are expected to debate the merits of a school voucher program when they return to work in January.Teachers, students and school districts across Bexar County are already feeling the impacts of the last legislative session’s maneuvering, in which Gov. Greg Abbott denied public schools the $5.2 billion lawmakers approved for them as leverage for his voucher plan that ultimately failed in spec...
San Antonio Report •

Fast-growing East Central ISD asks voters for help with costs

East Central ISD is asking local voters to approve a tax increase and three bond issues to help the district upgrade aged sports facilities and build new school facilities as it grapples with exploding enrollment, which is expected to double in the next eight years. All the changes could result in an expanded property tax bill, if passed. The district’s 11,176 student enrollment is expected to grow to 25,617 by 2033.The swelling numbers are the opposite of those of other regional districts, whic...
San Antonio Report •

Edgewood ISD faces shakeup in November election

The Edgewood Independent School District board of trustees could see a major shakeup this November, with challengers looking to defeat incumbents, including one who has been on the board since it returned to local control following a state takeover in 2016. In the years since, the board has been mostly unified, with a strict adherence to governance practices recommended by the state. The exception has been the last year, after Mike Valdez, a recent high school graduate, ran unopposed, bringing a...
San Antonio Report •

Who should choose your child's books and curriculum? Texas Board of Education election is coming up

There are 15 members on the State Board of Education, which sets curriculum and chooses textbooks for Texas public schools. Seven seats are up for grabs this year. But only two districts will be on San Antonio area ballots for the Nov. 5 election.The education board’s District 3, which encompasses the entire city of San Antonio, will remain in the hands of incumbent Marisa B. Pérez-Díaz as she was unchallenged.Pérez-Díaz is the most senior Democrat on the State Board of Education and was first e...
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