San Antonio Standard

A San Antonio-area public school district has decided to shutter three of its campuses, per reports from San Antonio-based media outlets.

South San Antonio Independent School District (SSAISD) trustees voted 5-2 on Wednesday, March 22 to close Abraham Kazen Middle School, Athens Elementary and Kindred Elementary per Superintendent Henry Yzaguirre’s recommendation, San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT reported.

"Although this has been a very difficult decision, the focus of our district continues to be providing all students with the best academic opportunities," a spokesperson with SSAISD said, according to San Antonio CBS affiliate KENS. "We are committed to working through these changes to best serve the SSAISD community."

KSAT reported that district leaders initially voted against the closures earlier this year.

The station reported that West Campus High School, one of SSAISD’s two high schools, also faced the prospect of closure, but was omitted from the most recent vote.

The 16-campus district of over 8,000 students announced last month that it faced a $12 million deficit to go along with its declining enrollment.

According to KSAT, trustees were mum as to when the schools will close, but it’s certain they won’t be open for classes at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. 

Yzaguirre will formulate a plan as to how to reassign faculty and staff, as well as publish a timeline on the process. 

One of the two trustees who dissented against the closures told San Antonio Report that she’s disappointed SSAISD didn’t research other ways to save money. 

“I feel that there was a deal made to save one school and close the other three down,” Shirley Ibarra said in the report. “The other three schools down on this side of town.” 

San Antonio Report reported that trustee Manuel Lopez criticized board president Homer Flores, who finalizes meeting agenda items with the superintendent, for deleting West Campus from the item. 

“If it’s not [on] the agenda, we don’t have to vote for it, so we don’t look bad for our constituents,” Lopez, who voted for the closures, told the website. “I am very … disappointed with the board president and we need to do something about that … in the near future.”