Rayburn Elementary School is one of four Harlandale ISD schools that will close. Credit: Google Maps
Facing a financial crisis, the board of San Antonio’s Harlandale Independent School District voted Monday to close four elementary campuses as a cost-cutting measure, according to media reports.

The board voted 4-3 in favor of closing Columbia Heights, Morrill, Rayburn and Carroll Bell elementary schools, KSAT-TV reports.

Students from the four shuttered schools will transfer to other Harlandale campuses, and the buildings will be repurposed to house administrative offices and other district departments, according to the San Antonio Report. 

Facing a $12 million budget shortfall, Harlandale was forced to close schools operating at or below 50% capacity to slash expenses, the online news site reported.

Last week, the board of South San Antonio ISD voted to close Kazen Middle School, Athens Elementary School and Kindred Elementary after facing similar budgetary issues and declining enrollment, KSAT also reported.

The slew of local school closures in some of San Antonio’s poorest neighborhoods comes at a time when state GOP lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott are pushing school choice vouchers, which could trigger enrollment drops at other public school campuses.

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This article appears in Mar 22 – Apr 4, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...