Highlights from State of the District
The 2026 State of the District event, held on February 10, highlighted the current achievements and future vision of San Antonio ISD. The event, attended by more than 200 community leaders, featured a powerful program led by students from across the district. A special thank you to our co-hosts, the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Their partnership underscores that the success of our public schools is a shared community responsibility and a vital investment in our city’s future. Read the full story here 2026 State of the District
Expanding Ballet Folklórico Programs
Thanks to community momentum and a strategic investment of $100,000 from Impact San Antonio, 700 elementary students are now enrolled in Ballet Folklórico district-wide. The number of active, school-based programs has already grown from four in 2024-25 to ten in 2025-26, reaching more schools and learners than ever before.
Growth from Four Programs to Ten
This expansion reflects the commitment to culturally relevant arts education that honors heritage, elevates student voice, and nurtures leadership through performance. The grant from Impact San Antonio supports professional contracted teaching artists, investment in costumes and performance equipment, transportation and performance opportunities, and expanded student access district-wide. These investments ensure that every student who wants to participate can do so with confidence and with the resources they need to succeed.
This funding comes at a pivotal time for the program. Last year, SAISD’s Ballet Folklórico was facing cuts due to budget constraints, and community support through the SAISD Foundation helped keep the program alive.
Celebrating Talent and Tradition
Last fall’s “A Night of Music. A Legacy of Culture” event showcased the talent and joy of SAISD Ballet Folklórico and mariachi students before a packed crowd in Legacy Park—affirming the power of arts to bring community together. You are invited to join us on March 24, 2026, for another “A Night of Music. A Legacy of Culture” event featuring student performers from Brackenridge and Edison High Schools and Bonham Academy.
This grant is more than funding—it’s a vote of confidence in our students, our legacy, and our shared future. The video below shows our students in action and speaks to the power of these experiences.
A Wildly Exciting Partnership: Field Trips to the San Antonio Zoo!
As part of our intentional, grade-level expeditions strategy, we are proud to announce a new partnership with the San Antonio Zoo. Every 2nd-grader across our district now has the opportunity to experience hands-on, real-world learning outside the classroom—at no cost to schools or families.
A Strategic Investment in Early Learning
Second grade is a critical year for building curiosity, literacy, and foundational science knowledge. Through this grade-level strategy, we’re creating shared learning experiences that align with curriculum and expand what students are exploring in their classrooms—from animal life cycles and habitats to ecosystems and conservation.
Why This Matters for Urban Youth
For many of our students, opportunities to visit cultural and educational institutions like the Zoo can be limited by cost, transportation, or access. This partnership removes those barriers. When students can see a giraffe up close, hear a lion’s roar, or participate in interactive conservation learning, education becomes tangible and inspiring.
Help Us Get Students There
Transportation remains a critical need for our field trips and grade-level learning expeditions. For PK-8 partners that are not able to cover transportation, the Foundation covers the cost of school buses—an expense that averages $300 per grade level. You can help ensure every child has access to these unforgettable learning experiences. Sponsor a trip and make a direct impact on an entire grade-level.
Celebrating SAISD’s Homegrown Teacher Partnership
Chenise Cook didn’t always plan to be a teacher. A 2021 Highlands High School alumna who studied business, she discovered her passion for education after playing volleyball at Texas Southern University and later at the University of Mississippi, where she graduated in May 2025.
Her journey to the classroom began with SAISD’s Homegrown Community Partnership, an innovative program that removes financial barriers to teacher certification for members of the SAISD community.
Cook worked as a special education substitute at Brackenridge High School while completing certification coursework, and when she passed her certification exam, her cohort celebrated together. Now, as a certified special education teacher supporting math instruction at Poe Middle School, she’s committed to serving SAISD students for years to come.
She shared, “Everyone starts in their own stage in life. There’s no time limit to when you should start.” Her story exemplifies SAISD’s belief that talent lives here.
Last Dollar Gap Funding
The SAISD Foundation was proud to initiate the partnership with Region 20, SA Ready to Work, and SAISD Human Capital Management. The partnership provides free evening coursework led by master teachers and a financial investment to cover Region 20 certification fees through Ready to Work or the SAISD Foundation — setting them up for success without out-of-pocket costs.
Participants earn teacher certification through Region 20’s Teacher Orientation & Preparation Program (TOPP) and can transition into a full-time teaching role in as little as one year. Click here to learn more about this partnership.
More Than a Gift: Amazon Invests in SAISD Students
We are proud to recognize not only a generous financial contribution, but a meaningful community investment in our students and our city. Amazon committed $40,000 to the SAISD Foundation—helping to strengthen transformative programs across San Antonio ISD, including our STEM buses and Book Buddies.
Volunteers Investing in Community
This investment goes far beyond a check. It represents a partnership rooted in innovation, literacy, and hands-on engagement with students.
What makes this partnership especially powerful is that Amazon didn’t just fund these opportunities—they showed up. Local employees volunteered alongside our educators, engaging with students during STEM bus visits at Sam Houston High School and supporting literacy efforts on the Book Buddies Bus at Washington Elementary in alignment with their exciting launch of drone deliveries, amplifying their support for District 2. Their presence demonstrated that corporate partnership is not only about resources, but about relationships.
As Sarah Rith, Community Engagement Manager at Amazon, shared: “We believe in investing in the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers. These programs work together to ensure every student has access to resources that open doors and expand possibilities.”
When corporate partners, volunteers, and educators come together, we build brighter futures—one bus stop, one book, and one student at a time.
Seeking 20 New Partners to Invest in SAISD Students
As we celebrate our 20th anniversary year, we are inspired by partners like Amazon, who demonstrate what meaningful community investment looks like. Now, we’re looking ahead.
We are seeking 20 new corporate and community partners to join us this year—organizations ready to invest not only financially, but through volunteerism and shared commitment to student success. We invite you to partner with us.