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SAISD board votes 7‑0 to close San Jacinto Elementary; students to move to Reagan beginning July 1, 2025
Summary
After public comment and staff analysis citing structural foundation issues and declining enrollment, the board approved a motion to close San Jacinto Elementary effective July 1, 2025, and to change Reagan Elementary’s attendance boundary to include San Jacinto’s area.
The San Angelo Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday to close San Jacinto Elementary School and to expand Reagan Elementary’s attendance area to include San Jacinto students, effective July 1, 2025.
The decision followed lengthy public comment from San Jacinto parents and neighborhood residents, staff presentations and a superintendent recommendation citing structural safety concerns. "Our staff doesn't feel that it would be in the district's best interest to recommend to you all to repair San Jacinto," Superintendent Dr. Brandon Moran told the board. He said the building is 118 years old and that district staff found the building’s foundation compromised.
Why it matters: Board and district leaders framed the move as part of a broader effort to "rightsize" elementary campuses amid declining enrollment and numerous district facility needs. Dr. Moran said constructing a new elementary would cost about $45 million and benefit roughly 450 students — but that the district must balance that option against systemwide needs.
Public opposition: Dozens of parents and residents urged the board to keep San Jacinto open. Virgil Baccetti, a neighborhood resident, said: "You have the same team in place that couldn't get Fannin and McGill done and now you want us to give them $400,000,000. They couldn't even handle $20,000,000." Brent Woodworth, who identified himself as a father of a San Jacinto student, described the neighborhood turnout and pleaded for the board to represent community wishes: "San Jacinto is the pride and pillar of our neighborhood ... It is not a numbered value but rather a monument that has stood the test of time for 118 years."
District rationale and staffing considerations: Board members and the superintendent emphasized that the choice was made with student safety and instructional quality foremost. Trustees noted that some classrooms in the district have very low enrollment and that consolidating campuses can reduce the number of unstaffed or substitute‑led classes. "The end goal is to better provide for all of our students to put high quality teachers in front of those kids," Dr. Moran said.
The motion: Taylor Kingman, president of the board of trustees, moved to approve the attendance‑area change and the closure; the motion was seconded and passed on a 7‑0 vote. The motion referenced district policy FC Local; staff said the closure and boundary change would follow district policy and state law.
What happens next: The district said it would move forward with boundary adjustments and communications to families; the board also indicated additional consolidations may be necessary as the district continues to contend with declining enrollment and districtwide facility needs.
Ending: The decision marks a significant shift for the San Jacinto neighborhood, which will send its students to Reagan next school year. Trustees and staff said they will continue community outreach and planning to ease the transition.
