SAISD Proud at the 28th Annual Cesar E. Chavez
March for Justice

On Saturday, March 23, San Antonio ISD participated in the 28th Annual Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice. There were over 400 students from a dozen schools who marched to unite, recognize, and overcome injustices and inequities our community faces. Understanding that participating in opportunities like this helps our students learn more about their community and the power of advocacy, the SAISD Foundation is proud to ensure every student who wants to participate in civic engagement opportunities like this can, by covering costs for school bus transportation to and from the event. 

Rita Sanchez, program coordinator from the SAISD Family and Community Engagement Department shares, “Community engagement fosters a sense of belonging. Events like the march are important because they happen within district boundaries and reaffirm that our school district is embedded into the historical fabric of the San Antonio cultural landscape.” By providing school bus transportation for students to participate, they can witness first-hand how the community comes together. 

Sanchez continues, “The impact is so powerful because it shapes how students apply what is learned in the classroom to their community. Students learn to interact with their community and develop the skills, values, and sense of empowerment necessary to become active citizens beyond the classroom.”

This is the second time that SAISD has participated in the march, but the first time school bus transportation was provided for students, which increased the number of students who were able to participate. Read more about the schools that participated. Just $100 gets the wheels on another bus rolling for more student experiences. Thank you to our donors who help us expand student experiences through events like this by contributing to our field trip fund. You can join in the efforts by donating with "Field Trips" in the comments.

New High for College Persistence

SAISD College Persistence

Freshman to Sophomore Persistence in College

A key priority of the SAISD Foundation is to increase the postsecondary success of San Antonio ISD graduates. The work with district and public-private partnerships has helped drive our latest milestone of reaching 71% of the SAISD Class of 2021 persisting to their second year in college. Our rate is higher than that of the national average for similar student demographics, as reported by the National Student Clearinghouse in January 2024.

In the Class of 2021, we saw an 8% Increase in freshman to sophomore persistence. That breaks down to an additional 183 students who persisted to their second year at college compared to the Class of 2020. This continues our efforts to close the gap in persistence, compared to the national average for all student demographics which is 76%. This data is extremely important because research tells us that students who complete their second year of college are significantly more likely to graduate from college with a degree in hand.

Together, this public-private partnership is fueling student success as SAISD students work to become our San Antonio leaders of tomorrow. Learn more about our efforts to increase postsecondary success from Postsecondary Navigator, Patty Carvajal.

Matching Passion with Purpose

There is no better feeling than helping someone find a powerful match for their giving that aligns with their passions and meets an important student need. With Richard Lopez Garza, we were able to do just that. 

Richard is a local attorney and a proud 1964 alumnus of Fox Tech High School. He served during the Vietnam War and received a Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart for injuries sustained during the war.

For decades, he has been supporting students through annual alumni events like the Chili Bowl Gala, but this year, he chose to also make a direct impact on students at Fox Tech pursuing a career in nursing.

When SAISD and San Antonio College held a news conference earlier this spring on their collaborative program creating a pipeline for future nurses, Richard attended. He was able to hear from graduates now employed in the field and speak to engaging current students headed into nursing through this new dual credit fast track. Richard has first-hand experience of the important and compassionate role nurses play in healthcare and health recovery. In a follow-up conversation with our staff, we were able to share with him the need students have to purchase scrubs for their dual credit courses and the need for white lab coats that help them identify as part of the profession. Richard knew instantly that this was a match for him and asked us to send over a letter detailing the need, costs and benefits for students. And as the saying goes, the check was in the mail. By making a gift to the SAISD Foundation to cover the cost of the lab coats and scrubs, he could give to both the school and the students he wanted to support AND support a field that he is passionate about helping to grow. 

The SAISD Foundation is here to help our community and our alumni match passion with purpose. If you are interested in us helping you make a unique match with what you care about most, we are ready to help. It is what we do. Start the conversation with our Executive Director Judy Geelhoed to learn more about how you can make an impact on your school of choice.

Two Ways to Support Students

We are committed to creating an educational landscape where students thrive and educators are empowered to make a lasting impact. With this goal in mind, we have organized events tailored to raising funds that help us meet the evolving needs of both students and teachers. Your participation in these events not only raises critical funding at an important time in public education but also demonstrates your commitment to the educational community right here in San Antonio. We welcome you to use the links below to become part of our May 1, 2024 “State of the District” event and as a supporter at “Partee of the Patio” during our annual Golf FORE Excellence Tournament on April 9, 2024. 

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