Transparency was the word of the day at the recent San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District board meeting. From public comments requesting accountability to the board members requesting more in depth data from their teams to share with the public; clarity was everyone's priority. Recent legislation at the state level has put a huge strain on the upcoming budget for the 2025-2026 school year, causing anxiety in students and parents about what programs will be affected due to limited funds.
SMCISD Board President Anne Halsey emphasized that the district's priorities include keeping class sizes reasonable, keeping students and staff safe and ensuring employees have insurance. Many students and parents have been concerned about the fate of extracurricular programs such as Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Fine Arts and the Gifted & Talented programs. At the May 3 school board meeting, the board voted 5-0 for the non-renewal of AFJROTC Major Anthony Williams’ term contract. According to public comments, the non-renewal of Williams, who was the senior instructor for the AFJROTC program, brought frustration and concern for the state of the program due to budget cuts.
“On May 5, the school board decided in closed session to work on the non-renewals for teachers, knowing full well that you have several members of your community that have very strong opinions about the way you are choosing to do non-renewals," said Aaron Brown, a concerned parent. “ I think under full transparency to the community, San Marcos CISD needs to release the criteria on how principals chose who to cut. If there is not a base line standard then how do we know we are cutting the right personnel?"
