Teachers, Students and Programs Have Been AwardedMore Than $33M in 15 Years

At the SAISD Foundation, we are committed to a vision where all students and teachers thrive in San Antonio ISD public schools. In our 15 year history, we have invested more than $33 million dollars to support students, teachers and programs in SAISD that expand student experiences and increase their postsecondary success.

Flip through the pages of our latest annual report for the school year and see what our donors and SAISD family make possible!

700

Grants Awarded

24,287

Students Reached

532

Educators Awarded

88

Schools Reached

Numbers reflect School Year 22-23 to date

Ensuring our students thrive inside and outside of the classroom
A key way we support teachers and student in all learning environments is by awarding grants to our teachers and those who are in our schools every day. As an independent 501 (c)(3), we are able to work closely with our campus leaders and educators to fund what is the best fit for their students and their campuses. From classroom mini-grants to school-wide principal grants, together we are expanding experiences and opportunities for our students every school day! Meet some of our talented teachers and what they are implementing both in the classroom and after school through our educator grant program below!.

Ensuring our students thrive after high school graduation
At the SAISD Foundation, we are committed to increasing the success of our students who are choosing to pursue a postsecondary education. One of the key ways we do that is by supporting scholarships. As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are able to work with SAISD campus-based counselors to make the best matches and fill the highest needs. We are proud to share that our class of 2021 scholarship recipients persisted to the second year of college at 88% which is significantly higher than the national average! We also offer a number of supports such as our Emergency Gap Program to ensure that barriers we can remove don’t get in their way as they work to persist from high school graduation through to college graduation. Learn more about our talented students below.

If you are inspired by the SAISD teachers you read about, you can help.

How educator grants are making an impact

Innovative Grants

Outdoor Classroom: Let the Adventure Begin!
“I’d like to create an outdoor classroom where we can take learning outside. If we want to launch water rockets or test water samples, we can do it from our outdoor classroom. Using the outdoor classroom as a greenhouse, students can learn to use green energy sources to power the space. This would create a wonderful place for learning opportunities at CAST Med High School.”

Mr. Garcia-Roman

CAST Med High School

The Classroom of the Future Can Start TODAY!
“Having this project implemented would mean a great deal to me personally because it would give my students access to new and innovative learning experiences that could have a profound impact on their future success. Knowing that others are willing to invest in my students and support their education is incredibly rewarding, and it motivates me to continue pushing for new and creative ways to enhance their learning."

Mr. Robles-Leon

Crockett Academy

Music for Motivation, Sound for Socialization & After School Involvement Initiative
“Having an Innovative Sound System that plays music during class motivates the students to workout harder and they have more fun during PE class. It will also enhance the sound and make a difference at our assemblies, shows and guest speaker visits. It makes a difference when students can hear the Fitness Gram (state-mandated test for {Physical Education) cadences and when students can hear clear concise instructional directions.”

Coach Sarabia

Ball Elementary

“We want to give them an outlet to work out the stressors of their life in a positive manner.”

Mr. Abbate

Ball Elementary

Mini-Grants

Engaging & Motivating Students
“Thank you very much for your generous donation to my class and my students! We are thrilled to have your support. Their faces lit up when they saw the items! Your generous donation provides classroom essentials and rewards needed to help motivate and promote student involvement in everyday lessons. My students and I are very grateful!”

Mrs. Grover

J.T. Brackenridge Elementary School

Building Literacy Through Theater
“I’m so excited that our new puppet theater has been fully funded! I can’t wait to see what amazing stories our students create within this new library space! Thank you so much! There aren’t enough words to express what it means to our school when we are so well supported!”

Ms. Westerfield

Advanced Learning Academy

Math Manipulatives & Games
“My students will truly benefit from each and every resource that was funded through this Mini Grant and we are ecstatic to begin using them. Your donations have truly made an impact on the remainder of the school year for my students and I. They will be more engaged and they will feel important because they know other people besides their teacher have contributed to their learning.”

Ms. Rojas

Smith Elementary School

How scholarships and emergency gap are making an impact

scholarships

Michael J. Tamez Scholarship
“My semester has been really great, and I have met a ton of people! My classes have been going well and I have been getting ready for finals. I have started working while in college and have ideas on what extracurriculars to join next semester. The Michael J. Tamez scholarship has helped tremendously with taking care of a great amount of my housing balance. It gave me time to work and save for other essential items I needed to buy such as toiletries and medicines. This scholarship took a lot of weight off my shoulders that I am incredibly grateful for, especially as a freshman entering a university in another city. This opportunity has made it a great experience for me to make a smooth transition from high school into college! (November ’22)”

Jade Martinez

FOX TECH '22

Francis G. Greiner, MD Scholarship
Marcus Antu is a third-year student at OLLU studying psychology and minor in music. He plans to attend grad school to study Cognitive Behavioral Psychology, hoping to become a researcher. He is currently a teaching artist at Highlands helping students at his alma mater prepare for their TMEA auditions. “This scholarship is what allows me to create my best quality work, practice piano, and teach students without worrying about working for college. This has allowed me to establish myself amongst OLLU’s Music program as a reputable musician and given me all A’s! This was my first semester staying on campus (also directly the result of your help) and has allowed me to make many friends and find community amongst my peers. Thanks once more!” (November ’22)

Marcus Antu

Highlands '20

Lanier Alumni Business Scholarship
Nathan is a fourth-year student at Texas State pursuing a career in business and finance. With his strong passion for numbers and desire to help others, he plans to use his skills to become a financial advisor to help families make wise financial decisions. During his time at TSU, he has joined the lacrosse team and added a minor in Communications. Despite unexpected life events due to COVID, Nathan has persevered. In his words, “There’s been a lot of unexpected events throughout my college career that I think have hindered my ability to perform to the expectations that I’ve had for myself. Regardless, I’m pushing forward and it’s because of these donations and scholarship opportunities that I am able to focus on my education with little worry of the financial burden that would otherwise completely consume my time.” (November ’21)

Nathan Perez

Lanier '18

Beyond scholarships, our programs helps students enroll and persist in college

Emergency Gap Program
Katrina has been enjoying her first year at NYU as a Computer Science major. Through Emergency Gap funding, the SAISD Foundation was able to pay for her flight home for Christmas to see her family. We were even able to put another student, Timothy Melendez a Computer Science major at nearby Columbia, on the same flight back! With the help of an individual donor to this program, both Tim and Katrina were also given tickets to incredible shows in NYC in spring 2022. (December ’21)

Katrina Ramirez, Burbank '18

New York University

College Tour Program
Francisco Vega and his mom visited Drexel University during admitted student weekend. He had worked with his College Bound Advisor to research the college and had been offered a full ride, be neither h nor his family has been to the college or to Philadelphia His trip to visit the campus was the key factor that allowed him to commit there on the spot. As a first gen college student it was important that both he and his mom felt it was the right fit for him. (January ’22)

Francisco Vega, Sam Houston '22

Drexel Univeristy

Emergency Gap Program
Ruth Munoz’s laptop gave out when she was about to start a new (virtual) school year at DePaul University. This Sam Houston HS Alum reached out and our Emergency Gap Funding program was able to help her purchase a new laptop! This program exists to remove barriers like this for our alumni working toward college graduation. (September ’20)

Ruth Munoz, Sam Houston '20

DePaul University

Principal & School-Wide Grants

Young Men’s Leadership Academy: Minecraft

This room may look like a regular computer lab, but in this Minecraft Computer Lab, students are working to design virtual spaces and places to share with younger students at YMLA. With a new server and place and most of the firewall issues resolved, we can’t wait to see the worlds they create and invite the young men across their campus to explore! This program is an exciting way to build on an interest of the students and develop their skills with something they enjoy.

Learning Lab

At Riverside Park, their whole school Principal Grant involved redesigning a large empty indoor area into an interactive learning lab. From robotics and 3D Printing to a campus news station, this area packs in incredible opportunities for students to expand their learning through new experiences. In this space, students are even encouraged to write on the glass walls! The school also installed a book vending machine on the first floor where students are invited to use coins they earn to “buy” books to take home.

Theater Enhancement

MLK’s full name is Martin Luther King Academy for Arts Integration, but without essential theater equipment and the funds to purchase the use of screenplays, the theater program was not able to provide the experiences they wanted for their students. With the investment by the SAISD Foundation in a whole school $10,000 Principal Grant, equipment like that pictured here was quickly put to use, scripts and copies were purchased and the program was well on its way! Happening in Covid times, the enhancement to this program provided excitement and energy in challenging times.