SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Independent School District will remain closed on Wednesday because of the cold weather, according to a notification sent to parents obtained by KSAT.
While nearly all area school districts closed Tuesday due to cold weather and ice on the roads, no other public school districts in San Antonio and Bexar County have announced closures on Wednesday other than SAISD.
SAISD announced on Tuesday, shortly before 5:30 p.m., that schools would be closed on Wednesday.
“For the safety of students, especially those walking or waiting at bus stops early in the morning, SAISD will keep its schools closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22,” the statement reads. “… We have worked diligently to prepare SAISD’s facilities for the cold temperatures; however, we recognize that the age of some buildings presents unique challenges.”
SAISD, which enrolls 45,000 students, also said that “all Central Office, district and essential staff will report to work on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at their regularly scheduled times.”
KSAT asked for more information about the closures and whether it was specifically due to HVAC issues, but a spokesperson for the school district did not directly answer the question.
The district said curbside meals will be available at select schools from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday and that the district’s staff will work on Wednesday to ensure that schools are ready to open on Thursday, according to SAISD.
While no more precipitation is forecasted this week, low temperatures are expected to stay below freezing through at least Friday.
SAISD has faced criticism from parents over problems with heating in schools, which has forced intermittent closures and changes at some campuses.
Earlier this month, during the last cold snap, at least seven SAISD schools had heating problems — Highlands, Fox Tech, Brackenridge and Burbank high schools and Graebner, Carvajal and Washington elementary schools.
“It was cold,” Highlands senior John Elizondo told KSAT. “I just kept my hoodie on. Kept my jacket on.”
By the next morning, heaters were operating normally at most of the affected schools. But that wasn’t the first time the major school district had heating problems.
Amid winter weather in January 2024, SAISD closed all its campuses due to a lack of heat at several schools. That prompted administrators to issue a 38-page report about “systemic failures” in HVAC infrastructure.
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