Northside ISD to build 6 schools to accommodate growth

NISD is largest district in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – The Northside Independent School District is the largest district in San Antonio and growing.

There are more than a 105,000 students at Northside ISD and 2,000 new students coming in every year.

"Northside school district continues to be the destination district in Bexar County," spokesman Pascual Gonzalez said. "This is where thousands of families are moving all the time."

To accommodate the growth and relieve overcrowding, six schools are under construction, including Harlan High School, which will be located on FM 471 near Castroville.

But in order to open Harlan in 2017 with 1,500 students in its first year, the district is looking to move 900 students from Taft High School, 400 students from Brennan High School and 200 students from O'Connor High School.

Raul Garza's daughter is a freshman at Brennan and one of the 400 students who will move to Harlan when it opens.

"It's extremely frustrating as a single parent," Garza said. "Because you move to a certain location, one where you can afford to live and put your kid in a school where you think they are going to spend the next four years at. That way they are proud to be a member of the school, involved heavily in extra curricular activities."

The boundary advisory committee had a chance to hear concerns at a public hearing Thursday night.

"If you live in a district like Northside that continues to grow, that opens two, three schools a year, change is inevitable. So are boundary changes," Gonzalez said.

The boundary advisory committee will make a zone recommendation to the school board May 24. Trustees will vote on it the same night.


About the Author:

Stephanie Serna is a weekday anchor on Good Morning San Antonio and GMSA at 9 a.m. She joined the KSAT 12 News team in November 2009 as a general assignments reporter.