By Edmond Ortiz
This edition of Campus Briefs features efforts being undertaken by the New Braunfels Independent School District to reduce a budget gap through school consolidation.
Also, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is bolstering its public health and education academic programming, and research laboratory space.
Elsewhere, the San Antonio Independent School District now has a unique store where district teachers can get free classroom supplies.
Finally, a Northside Independent School District receives a local financial institution’s honor that is making its debut.
NBISD talks with residents about school consolidation
New Braunfels Independent School District is holding a series of public forums at local elementary schools now through Nov. 5 regarding the potential consolidation of two NBISD elementary schools.
New Braunfels ISD officials earlier this month said they are advancing a long-range sustainability process in order to get ahead of a $7 million budget deficit, which is projected for the 2027-2028 school year.
NBISD officials are considering consolidating two elementary campuses beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, a move that could save the district more than $4.7 million in operational expenses and a reduction in the number of staff positions. But no specific campuses have yet been identified, as the district is analyzing 11 different campus consolidation scenarios.
Currently, elementary campuses are functioning at 61% capacity, leaving nearly 2,500 seats unused across the district. According to NBISD leaders, consolidation could also increase staffing flexibility, and allow resources to be more efficiently spread districtwide.
“While many details cannot be finalized until January when final board decisions have been made, absorbing positions through natural attrition remains the top priority,” Chief Human Resources Officer Max Flores said in a statement. “While the district intends to retain all employees in good standing, individual campus assignments or roles may change for the 2027-2028 school year.”
The school board received an update on the sustainability process Oct. 19 and is due to get another briefing Nov. 9. A citizens committee will further discuss the process, including consolidation scenarios, at open meetings between Nov. 30 and Dec. 16 before forwarding recommendations to the board on Jan. 11.
Trustees are expected to finally act on a consolidation plan Jan. 19. Details on the community forums are available at this link.
Texas A&M-San Antonio lauds academic expansion
Texas A&M University-San Antonio officials gathered Oct. 21 to celebrate the opening of a $55 million, 35,000-square-foot public health and education building.
Containing classrooms, research laboratories and administrative spaces, the new structure houses the university’s College of Education and Human Development, the Community Health Program and the Genetics and Genomics Group, which studies genetic and environmental factors contributing to rare and complex disorders.
Leaders with the Texas A&M University System said the South Side university’s new building and its programs will help to expand health education, research and workforce training across South Texas, according to a press release.
“This building is where a lot of the people who will care for this community will get their education, including future teachers, public health professionals, and researchers working on the health problems that hit families here the hardest,” TAMU System Chancellor Glenn Hegar said in a statement.
TAMUSA officials also said the university is playing a critical role in helping to enhance public health, and shrink healthcare disparities on the South Side. The campus’ Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine is collaborating with University Health, which recently opened the neighboring Vida clinic, and will open the nearby Palo Alto Hospital in 2027.
Academic programming in the new building will also be the launchpad for a new bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences in fall 2027, providing a pathway for students interested in medicine, biomedical research and other health professions.
“Students and faculty from Texas A&M’s Vashisht College of Medicine will have classrooms and offices in this building, right across the street from the hospital where they’ll treat patients,” Hegar said in a statement. “Doctors tend to put down roots where they train. We want more of them putting down roots here.”
SAISD opens free teacher supply store
San Antonio Independent School District opened the city’s first free supply store that is designed to help SAISD teachers.
Leaders from H-E-B and the SAISD Foundation gathered Oct. 5, on World Teacher Day, to celebrate the launch of the teacher supply store at 415 Gabriel St. The store is located inside the district’s Young Men’s Leadership Academy, occupying the former Wheatley Community School space.
Trainees in SAISD’s Adult Years Vocational Program are receiving pre-employment training by operating the supply store during school days, according to a press release.
After instructional hours, members of the San Antonio Area Retired Teachers Association volunteer to staff the store and offer to mentor visiting teachers.
Additionally, an on-site workroom supports poster-making and laminating functions, and is available for teacher collaboration and sharing of best practices
H-E-B is serving as an exclusive corporate sponsor for SAISD’s free teacher supply store, which is funded through SAISD Foundation financial support.
“Teachers remain the backbone of our community, yet every year they spend hundreds of dollars of their own money just to stock their classrooms,” Judy Geelhoed, SAISD Foundation Executive Director. “The SAISD Foundation is changing that, and we are proud that H-E-B has joined us as our exclusive corporate sponsor on this store built exclusively for SAISD (pre-indergarten-12th grade) educators.”
NISD librarian is first recipient of new award
Firstmark Credit Union recently announced Valley Hi Elementary School librarian Jennifer Grimes as the first-ever recipient of the Firstmark Influencer of Tomorrow Award.
According to a press release, Firstmark’s monthly initiative celebrates one outstanding education professional making a meaningful difference in early childhood through 12th-grade public, private, or charter schools and communities across San Antonio and surrounding counties.
Each selected educator receives a $1,000 monetary award, a personalized trophy, and official Firstmark Credit Union recognition across its digital platforms.
Having worked 10 years in the Northside Independent School District, Grimes has invested almost $12,000 of her own money into enhancing the aesthetics of the Valley Hi library through seasonal decorations, uplifting quotes, and colorful paintings that promote literacy and curiosity.
Grimes also works with local businesses to provide free books for students. and hosts three little libraries in the surrounding community.
“I’m always trying to make sure our kids don’t have limits to their access to the world,” Grimes said in a statement. “This is the best place that connects them to the world.”
“(Grimes’) impact across the community is exactly the kind of education influencer we were dreaming of honoring when we created this award,” Marisa Pérez-Díaz, Firstmark’s vice president of community and public relations, added in a statement.
