SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio ISD leaders cite declining enrollment and years of poor academic performance for a board decision to close one middle school and turn operations of three other campuses over to a nonprofit charter organization.
Rhodes Middle School will close at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Students who attend Rhodes Middle currently will be moved to Tafolla Middle School’s campus.
SAISD will partner with Third Future Schools, a nonprofit organization that operates charter schools.
Third Future Schools also operates as a turnaround organization to assist failing public schools with academics.
“I don’t trust the district at the moment, I cannot tell my families too,” said Stephanie Torres, an SAISD school board member.
San Antonio ISD officials said Rhodes has seen a steady enrollment drop over the past five years.
| Campus Name | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHODES | 570 | 551 | 544 | 513 | 461 | 386 |
| TAFOLLA | 449 | 740 | 697 | 609 | 565 | 530 |
“The recommendation to close Rhodes is not a reflection of the students, staff or the community,” SAISD board President Alicia Sebastian said during Monday’s meeting. “It is a reflection of a system that has put us in an incredibly difficult position.”
Board member Mike Villarreal said the decision was tied to state accountability pressure.
“This is a decision that really is forced upon us because of the TEA accountability system that will really allow them to take over every single school within our school district,” Villarreal said.
Alongside the closure, the board approved a partnership that would have a charter school network, Third Future Schools, operate three SAISD schools. The district said the partnership is aimed at improving academic outcomes.
Third Future Schools is a nonprofit that operates charter schools and partners with public school districts across the country to improve academics. However, the plan has prompted concerns from parents and staff. SAISD employees told KSAT that they are worried about their jobs.
According to the contract listed on the district’s agenda, the nonprofit is not required to keep any SAISD employees.
Some parents said the decision-making process was not transparent and that the board moved forward before families felt heard.
“It’s like they voted before we were even a part of it,” parent Crystal Mata said. “So how can we trust that they’re gonna continue to do what’s best for our kids?”
Board member Stephanie Torres said the process to close Rhodes and contract with Third Future Schools was not inclusive of parents.
“It wasn’t a transparent process,” Torres said.
SAISD students do have the choice of attending a different school in the district if their family chooses to do so.
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