Abbott-induced financial crises in public school districts are at the center of key legislative elections in Bexar County and beyond.
As Principal Joaquin Hernandez shows me around the sprawling campus of MacArthur High School in San Antonio’s North East ISD, he greets students by name, hurries them to class, and explains how he’s finding ways to cut costs amid a district-wide
The parent-teacher group recently chipped in $700 to pay for a fence alongside the school that was needed to meet new school safety requirements that the state mandated but. Hernandez considers MacArthur’s situation lucky compared to other Texas schools in even more dire financial straits. Still, the high school has eliminated a handful of full-time teaching positions and class sizes have increased from 22 to 27.
But the numbers aren’t set in stone yet, and House Democrats are hoping to flip at least three GOP-held seats in November to.
Maika made clear that as superintendent he is nonpartisan and is not involved in political elections. But Maika said the current situation is untenable. “The state is stagnated. It’s not good for the state of Texas, and it’s not good for the students in our system, the people that rely on public education,” Maika said.
She tells prospective voters, “I grew up in this neighborhood, went to Regency , lived in this area my whole life, and I just thought we needed some normal, common sense people to run for office.” While the district is historically Republican, Swift thinks its strong moderate streak gives her a chance to win. Both Trump and Abbott only narrowly carried it in the past two cycles, and North East ISD voters recentlyfive conservative school board candidates in favor of more moderate candidates. “LaHood is a little too extreme for this district,” Swift said.
In a dual-language classroom at Harlandale’s Schulze Elementary School, five-year-old Irene tells me her classmates’ names and explains to me what her two-dozen or so classmates are doing. It’s Hispanic Heritage Week, so the walls are decorated with images of Hispanic icons and children have donned traditional ponchos or embroidered floral dresses.
Other school districts in HD 118 are turning to local residents to help narrow their budget deficits. Faced with a $35 million budget deficit, Judson ISDto use “disaster pennies,” an extra tax levy allowed under extreme circumstances, to raise much-needed funds. East Central ISD is asking voters to approve a property tax rate increase to help pay for teachers and staff.
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