|
We reviewed the upcoming agenda for SAN ANTONIO ISD and found 5 items with policy significance ahead of the vote.
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 8) |
|
Board to Approve $40.7M Budget Increase for Bond Project
The board is asked to approve a $40.67 million budget increase for the Martin Luther King Academy 2020 Bond Project, raising the total project budget to $90 million. The increase is attributed to the district’s ‘2023 Rightsizing initiative,’ which will consolidate students from three other campuses into the new facility. This represents a significant cost escalation for a previously approved bond project.
Policy Use
DOCUMENT AND BRIEF: Item 2.E approves a $40.7M budget increase for the MLK Academy project, bringing the total to $90M. Document this cost escalation, justified by the ‘2023 Rightsizing initiative,’ as a case study for the fiscal consequences of school consolidation for the state policy team.
Policy Lever: $40.7M Bond Fund Increase
|
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 8) |
|
District Budget Report Shows $23.2M Draw from Fund Balance
The board will approve the October 2026 budget report, which projects a $23.25 million deficit in the General Fund for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The report indicates this deficit will be covered by drawing from the district’s fund balance (reserves). This action confirms the district is engaging in significant deficit spending to cover current operations.
Policy Use
BRIEF STATE AFFAIRS: Item 3.G’s budget report confirms a $23.2M general fund deficit covered by reserves. Use this as a concrete example of unsustainable district spending for testimony and briefs on school finance and fiscal responsibility.
Policy Lever: $23.2M Fund Balance Drawdown
|
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 7) |
|
Approval of Campus Improvement Plans Citing Federal Law and SEL
The board will approve the 2026-2027 Campus Improvement Plans (CIPs) for all schools, which are required by federal law (ESSA). The summary notes the plans are based on a needs assessment, include ‘evidence-based strategies,’ and support ‘Social Emotional Readiness,’ but the actual plans are not attached to the agenda. This action sets campus-level academic and non-academic priorities using federal and local funds.
Policy Use
PULL THE DOCUMENT: Item 2.C approves Campus Improvement Plans for all schools. Request the full text of the CIPs from the District Office before the vote to identify specific ‘evidence-based strategies’ and ‘Social Emotional Readiness’ programs being implemented under the federal ESSA framework.
Policy Lever: Federal Grant Conditions (ESSA)
|
| WATCH (LEVEL 6) |
|
District Approves $647k Agreement for Private School Services
The board will approve a $647,166 Shared Services Agreement with Education Service Center, Region 20. This agreement uses federal Title I funds to provide services for eligible students who reside within SAISD boundaries but attend private non-profit schools, as mandated by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Item 3.C approves a $647,166 agreement to provide Title I services to students in private schools, per federal law. Add this district and the funding mechanism (via ESC-20) to the state tracker for ESSA equitable services implementation.
Policy Lever: $647,166 Federal Grant
|
| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
|
District Goals Include ‘Social Emotional Readiness’ Standard
As part of progress monitoring reports, the district’s goals include improving ‘Social Emotional Readiness in all Students.’ The goal is to increase by 25% the number of students who meet a ‘to be determined’ SAISD standard for SEL from a 2024 baseline. This codifies SEL as a formal district goal, though the specific metrics remain undefined in this agenda.
Policy Use
WATCH: Items 2.A and 2.B confirm a district goal to improve ‘Social Emotional Readiness’ based on a ‘to be determined’ standard. Monitor future board meetings for the adoption of the specific SEL curriculum, assessment, or framework that will define this standard.
Policy Lever: SEL Implementation
|
|
|
“America First, Always.”
AFPI exists to advance policies that put the American people first. Our guiding principles are liberty, free enterprise, national excellence, American military superiority, foreign-policy engagement in the American interest, and the primacy of American workers, families, and communities in all we do.
America First Policy Institute
Powered by Sentinel Engine |