SAISD Board Holds 6-Hour Budget Meeting, No Community Input
Last week’s story, SAISD BOARD MEMBER ABSENT FROM COMMUNITY, PRESENT AT CELEBRATIONS, focused on our District 2, SAISD VP Board Member, Alicia Sebastian and her absence from the community. With graduation kicking off Ms. Sebastian will most likely be present at each and every SAISD ceremony, as she should.
Our graduates have accomplished uphill battles and navigated the Covid-19 pandemic throughout their school years- something most of us will never relate to or understand the emotional strength it took for our kids to succeed through these difficult times in the classroom. From K-12, parents are still faced with being omitted from the conversation due to no communication from the SAISD Board.
The SAISD Board held a 6-hour budget meeting the day before the referenced article was published last week. This 6-hour budget meeting began with the opportunity for Community Comments for the SAISD board members to take into account as they reallocate resources for our children’s education (funding). The problem: 1-2 people were present to give feedback and comments to the board. As of the 2020-2021 school year, SAISD had 45,780 students. 65.7% of students were considered at risk of dropping out of school. Still, only 2 community members/parents were present at this meeting. This is a failure of SAISD to not disseminate crucial information correctly and ethically. Transparency is not on the school board’s ‘list’ for parents. That is concerning to say the least.
With a huge drop out rate, teachers quitting due to overload and stress the question remains: Does the SAISD School Board and District 2’s Alicia Sebastian truly not want our parents’ input on their child’s education? What about all the other board members, why are we in the dark and they are in the light?
The math doesn’t add up that this school board is not meeting minimal communication standards. SAISD has 47,000+ students enrolled with 65.7% of students at risk of dropping out. These numbers urge us to question why only 1-2 parents were present to provide comment. Our district 2 board rep. is not disseminating information. Is it to avoid pushback or ideas from parent input that may not align with the board’s agenda?
“How am I supposed to know of a school board meeting that was disseminated through an email ‘distro list’ that does not include parents? How are we so digitally connected yet so far apart on serious issues?” stated a parent of a junior at Sam Houston High School. “I just tell my son to push through, he knows he is not getting the attention he should and it has been that way for years.”
The community is always in hope that our beloved SAISD will rise to the occasion of education, not only events.
Parents, if you need to reach me please email me at lena.lopez@saobserver.com. Have a blessed week.
