The School of Science and Technology is the latest school system in San Antonio to announce layoffs as federal COVID-19 funding dries up and attendance declines.
The cuts will affect 40 teacher aide positions across eight campuses in the San Antonio area. The charter school said there will be teacher assistants in classrooms for preschool, kindergarten and special education students, as well as in physical education classes.
Charter spokeswoman Anna Lewis said the cuts were due to the expiration of those funds and the lack of increased education funding from the state.
“Texas has not allocated any additional funding to all public schools in its 2024-2026 biennial budget,” Lewis said. “As a result, we have experienced significant reductions. Unfortunately, these reductions will continue into the next school year as we will no longer be able to access ESSER Covid Funds.”
Work is still ongoing to finalize next year's school budget.
The school, which serves about 10,000 students at eight campuses primarily concentrated in North San Antonio, including two near Schertz and one campus in South San Antonio, has affected employees. We are working to move them into before and after school programs and other non-exempt programs available. position.
The charter network also has schools in Corpus Christi and Houston. Lewis' statement did not provide details about potential cuts at those schools.
Parents who heard about the cuts through social media took to Facebook to share their concerns that the cuts would leave classrooms overcrowded without adequate staffing.
Despite the layoffs, the charter network maintains a highly skilled staff, including 113 teachers who are part of the state's Teacher Incentive Allocation Program. The program provides school districts and charter operators with additional funding for high-performing teachers based on student growth and classroom observations.
According to the district, this means one-third of core classroom teachers have earned this honor.
School districts across the region face tough financial decisions as they finalize next year's budgets. Earlier this year, the South San Antonio Independent School District's Board of Trustees gave the district's superintendent the authority to fire employees if necessary.
The expiration of ESSER also eliminated hundreds of jobs from the San Antonio Independent School District.
SAISD Superintendent Jaime Aquino emphasized the need for more funding from the state during his district's budget discussions.
On Monday, the College of Science and Engineering echoed that sentiment.
“I hope this issue highlights the importance of state funding for all students in public schools,” Lewis said in a statement. “It’s important that we have parents, teachers and staff who continue to advocate for public education.”
