San Angelo ISD Votes to Close San Jacinto Elementary

SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday evening to close San Jacinto Elementary School, effective July 1, 2025, citing safety and structural concerns with the 118-year-old building.

Superintendent Dr. Christopher Moran highlighted the challenges of declining enrollment, San Jacinto’s deteriorating condition, and the need to optimize district resources.

“It doesn’t make sense for us to repair a building that’s 118 years old,” Moran said, adding that consolidating San Jacinto students into Reagan Elementary would save the district an estimated $700,000 annually.

He called the decision a step toward ensuring higher-quality education and safer facilities for students.

Three speakers addressed the board during the public comments portion, all opposing the closure.

One man criticized the board for neglecting to address San Jacinto’s structural issues earlier, comparing it to other aging schools like Santa Rita Elementary, which remains operational.

“When you vote to close it down, you did that,” he said. He also voiced skepticism about the proposed $400 million bond for new facilities, accusing the district of mismanaging funds in past projects.

A parent of a San Jacinto student described the consolidation as “a nightmare,” highlighting the strain it has placed on families and questioning the district’s transparency.

“Since San Jacinto has been combined with Reagan, it has been an absolute nightmare," the parent said. "I lose hours every week of quality time with my daughter, and she has to be bused to a neighborhood that is not in our own. Your job as board members is not to represent the administration and simply relay that to the public. Your job is to represent your voters and ensure the administration knows what we want. You, unfortunately, have lost the public's trust in representing the administration. This is why we are pulling our children out in favor of charter schools, and it will continue to deny bonds.” 

Another community member echoed these frustrations, urging the district to invest in a new elementary school for the San Jacinto and Reagan communities.

“Why don’t we deserve something new?” she asked. “Why can't we have something for our kids, it's very important for our community to have a neighborhood school. We can do better.”

Several trustees and board members shared their regret over the decision while emphasizing the need to prioritize student safety and educational quality.

“This is a hard decision, very hard,” board trustee Lupita Arroyo said. “I have faith that is only the beginning of a better future for our kids. Every kid deserves the best, and I think what we decide tonight is going to be the best for our kids.”

“It’s a sad day, but seeing the building itself is clearly a critical point,” board trustee Dr. Kyle Mills said. “It has reached the end of life. Do I think moving kids to Reagan is without its own problems? Is it the perfect solution? Does it not have its own issues that we’ll have to work through? Obviously, it’s not perfect. We’re done with what we have. It doesn’t make sense to invest a lot of financial resources into a building that’s clearly failing, especially when we have a district that has mountains of facility issues. That just doesn’t seem reasonable. I agree with the superintendent’s decision to not try and put more money into something that’s just not gonna help us, especially when we have room for the kids.”

“It hurts my heart to even think about this,” Board Treasurer Bill Dendle said. “But you know, with life comes challenges, change, disruption. I’m sorry this is happening at this moment, but long term, I think we’re going to put kids in a better place by moving these kids from San Jacinto to Reagan Elementary at this point.”

Board President Taylor Kingman noted the community’s recent approval of Proposition A, which provided additional funding for teacher salaries and school security.

“Our community just voted for Prop A because they believe our teachers do make a difference, they believe in security for our kids, and they believe that our people are impacting their kids,” Kingman said. “And now we have to continue to work with our community to make sure that we’re putting everyone in the best situation possible.”

Moran added, “This is not going to be the final step. We’re going to have to do some more consolidating. You heard me say that last week, there needs to be at least two more. We can operate better as a district. We can provide a better education by doing that.”

The closure of San Jacinto Elementary comes after a July 2024 earthquake worsened structural issues, leading the Tom Green County Fire Marshal to deem the building unsafe. The district plans to raze the building following its closure.

As part of the plan, Reagan Elementary’s attendance boundaries will expand to include the San Jacinto area. The board also indicated that further consolidations may be necessary as enrollment continues to decline.

The San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees previously considered a broader plan to consolidate and repurpose multiple elementary schools in the district. A motion presented in 2023 proposed combining San Jacinto Elementary students with Reagan Elementary students and merging the district’s Pre-K and Early Childhood Special Education programs into San Jacinto Elementary’s existing facilities. This motion also included expanding McGill Elementary’s attendance zone to incorporate Austin Elementary and repurposing or closing both Austin and Alta Loma Elementary Schools. However, this motion failed with a 2-5 vote.

A revised motion was later proposed and approved with a 6-1 vote. Under the updated plan, McGill Elementary will absorb the Austin Elementary attendance zone starting in the 2024-25 school year, leading to Austin Elementary’s closure or repurposing. Additionally, Fannin Elementary will house students from Alta Loma Elementary, resulting in Alta Loma’s closure or repurposing.