At A Glance
- Bond 2020: What happened to the original $1.3 billion?
- Davis And MLK: Why trustees tabled the $65.8 million projects.
- East Side Concerns: What residents are saying about the uncertainty.
- Another $600 Million: What SAISD is asking voters to approve.
- What Voters Were Told: The original Bond 2020 promises.
- New Way Forward: How another district restructuring could affect schools.
The San Antonio Independent School District is asking voters to approve another $600 million in bonds while approximately $420 million from Bond 2020 remains unspent.
On Sept. 14, trustees, led by board president and D2 Rep, Alicia Sebastian, voted 5-2 to table $65.8 million in proposed Bond 2020 construction involving Davis Middle School and Martin Luther King Jr. Academy for Arts Integration.
Neither school has been selected for closure. But SAISD is developing its “New Way Forward,” which could include additional closures, consolidations and program changes.
For East Side residents, the question is not whether Davis and MLK deserve investment. Voters already approved improvements, both projects advanced into design, and SAISD unveiled renderings for a redesigned MLK Academy in January.
Now residents want assurances that the promised improvements will be completed and the schools will remain part of the East Side community.
Trustees Question Remaining Bond Money
San Antonio voters approved a $1.3 billion SAISD bond in 2020. Six years later, approximately $420 million remains unspent as the district cites inflation and rising construction costs among the challenges affecting projects.
At the Sept. 14 meeting, trustees questioned remaining funds and unfinished projects. Ed Garza raised concerns about Davis enrollment and bond allocations, while Mike Villarreal opposed advancing the Davis and MLK projects.
The board voted 5-2 to table the $65.8 million projects. Superintendent Adrian Bustillos agreed to provide trustees with a list of completed and ongoing Bond 2020 projects before they return for consideration.
This is a slap in the face. Why are we being asked to spend millions more when the district doesn’t even know what its New Way Forward will look like? They’ve changed allocations and spent money differently from what taxpayers were originally told, and now they’re asking us for another $600 million while there’s still the possibility that schools that were supposed to be renovated could be shut down. This is crazy.
Retired SAISD Teacher
Davis And MLK Were Already Promised Improvements
Davis and MLK are both long-standing East Side campuses, and neither project is simply an idea being proposed for the first time.
SAISD currently lists both campuses among its Bond 2020 projects that are “In Design.”
Read: SAISD UNVEILS REDESIGN FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ACADEMY AT MLK MARCH, January 23, 2026
MLK’s situation is particularly significant because the district previously positioned the campus as part of its plan following the 2023 school closures.
Under SAISD’s rightsizing plan, Gates Elementary closed and its building temporarily became the home of MLK students while the new MLK facility was renovated. The district’s plan stated that students would eventually return to the renovated MLK campus.
SAISD’s Bond 2020 project page lists an allocated budget of more than $49 million for MLK. The planned project includes new classrooms, laboratories and a library; new fine-arts spaces; a new gym and playgrounds; student dining and kitchen facilities; an auditorium; administrative offices; and enhanced security.
The district had previously told the community that construction would last approximately two years and that MLK would remain an academy after the renovation.
As recently as January 2026, SAISD publicly unveiled its redesign for MLK during San Antonio’s annual MLK March. The district described the new facility as a “state of the art academy” and released a 3D tour of the building renderings.
The Sept. 14 agenda specifically called for trustees to consider Bond 2020 construction involving the Davis Middle School gymnasium and MLK projects.
Those facts make the uncertainty particularly frustrating for some East Side residents: planning has occurred, money has been allocated and the community has already been shown what the promised schools are supposed to become.
East Side Residents Want Hard Answers
Another East Side resident told the Observer that the community needs definitive information about what SAISD intends to do with Davis and MLK before voters are asked for additional money.
We need hard evidence of what is going to happen with MLK and Davis. East Side voters are tired of watching things being taken away from this community. We’re losing the Spurs from the East Side, we’re seeing changes with the Boys & Girls Club, and now we’re being told that more schools could close while the future of two of our long-standing schools remains uncertain. What is going on? Why does it feel like the East Side keeps losing?
Eastside Resident, Martha Villarreal
The resident’s comments reflect a broader concern that extends beyond the two individual campuses: whether another round of SAISD restructuring could again have a significant impact on East Side neighborhoods.
But the district’s own recent history demonstrates why residents want answers before another bond election.
SAISD Has Redirected Bond Money Before
SAISD previously changed Bond 2020 plans after its 2023 rightsizing process resulted in campus closures. Seven schools originally slated for renovations were later identified for consolidation, and associated bond dollars were redirected to HVAC, safety and security, and other critical needs.
The history matters for Davis and MLK because a voter-approved renovation does not guarantee a project will proceed as originally planned. Now SAISD is seeking another $600 million while trustees are still questioning unfinished projects and remaining funds from Bond 2020.
Another $600 Million Goes Before Voters
Those questions are emerging just weeks before SAISD voters consider three additional bond propositions totaling $600 million.
- Proposition B seeks $492 million for school modernization, capital system replacements and safety and security improvements.
- Proposition C seeks $102 million for technology improvements, including network infrastructure and teaching and learning devices.
- Proposition D seeks $6 million for improvements to Alamo Stadium and the Convocation Center.
Separately, Proposition A is a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election that would increase SAISD’s maintenance-and-operations tax rate by 3.17 cents. The district estimates the VATRE would generate approximately $5.5 million in additional annual revenue.
The existence of unfinished Bond 2020 projects does not legally prevent SAISD from seeking another bond, and bond proceeds are restricted to capital purposes rather than ordinary operating expenses.
But voters are nevertheless being asked to authorize another $600 million while approximately $420 million from the previous $1.3 billion bond remains unspent, major projects remain in design and the district is simultaneously reconsidering its long-term school footprint.
What Voters Were Told In 2020
SAISD told voters the $1.3 billion Bond 2020 would fund major campus renovations, safety improvements, aging mechanical systems and technology upgrades.
But construction delays, inflation and labor and material shortages changed project schedules. By April 2024, district officials said Bond 2020 work could continue into 2026-27 while also discussing the possibility of additional bonds through 2030.
Declining Enrollment Drives New Way Forward
SAISD says declining enrollment and aging buildings are driving its New Way Forward initiative as the district determines how many campuses it will need in the future.
That creates a conflict for Davis and MLK: SAISD is reconsidering its school footprint while East Side residents are still waiting for improvements already approved under Bond 2020.
Email your trustee today and make your voice heard:
- Dr. Mike Villarreal
Trustee | District 1
mvillarreal1@saisd.net - Ms. Alicia Sebastian
President | District 2
asebastian1@saisd.net - Jacob Ramos
Secretary | District 3
jramos1@saisd.net - Mr. Arthur V. Valdez Jr.
Trustee | District 4
avaldez1@saisd.net - Mrs. Stephanie Torres
Trustee | District 5
storres8@saisd.net - Mrs. Christina Martinez
Vice President | District 6
cmartinez1@saisd.net - Mr. Ed Garza
Trustee | District 7
egarza8@saisd.net
210-355-8565 (phone)
East Side Community Waits For Answers
The questions facing Davis and MLK now go beyond construction schedules.
Voters approved the Bond 2020 program six years ago. SAISD allocated money for the campuses, worked with the community on plans and advanced the projects into design. At MLK, residents have already been shown renderings of the new school they were told would be built.
Meanwhile, SAISD is asking voters to authorize another $600 million while approximately $420 million from Bond 2020 remains unspent and the district begins another process that could reshape its school footprint.
The district must determine what its future school system will look like as enrollment continues to decline. Voters, meanwhile, will decide Nov. 3 whether to authorize hundreds of millions of dollars in additional borrowing.
For Davis, MLK and the surrounding East Side community, the immediate question is much simpler:
Will SAISD complete the schools and improvements East Side voters were already promised?
