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A sign asking voters to approve a $600 million bond package and a tax rate increase for the San Antonio Independent School District is displayed near Thomas Jefferson High School. Bond and tax rate propositions before voters address distinct needs. We can honor the generations these schools have served while recognizing the needs of those still to come, our guest columnists write.<\/p>\n
Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
For us, SAISD\u00a0isn\u2019t simply a school district. It\u2019s our community.<\/p>\n
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One of us grew up in the\u00a0San Antonio Independent School District community, where her family operated a Mexican American restaurant beginning in 1975, and later served the area as a City Council member. The other lives and works within the district and serves on the SAISD Foundation<\/a> board of directors. We believe deeply in the potential of our students and the future of our community.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n We also know our public schools are being asked to do more with less.<\/p>\n For years, Texas has failed to adequately fund public education, leaving school districts across our city and state facing difficult decisions. As the district serving the heart of San Antonio\u2019s urban core,\u00a0SAISD faces the added challenge of maintaining aging and historic campuses that have served generations of families.<\/p>\n These schools are more than buildings. They\u2019re neighborhood anchors where generations have learned, grown and built lasting connections. Yet stretched budgets, aging facilities and painful school closures have become realities for far too many students and educators.<\/p>\n Through the\u00a0SAISD Foundation, we\u2019ve seen firsthand how our community works to fill funding gaps. From mobile STEM and literacy programs to mariachi, folkl\u00f3rico, college visits, classroom supplies and support for new teachers, these efforts create opportunities students and educators deserve.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Yet every year, the foundation must make difficult decisions about what it can afford, what to prioritize and which needs will go unmet.<\/p>\n Philanthropy makes a difference, but it cannot replace sustained public investment.<\/p>\n