Starting next school year, North East Independent School District plans to open its boundaries to allow all students in the San Antonio region to attend its schools, following similar moves from neighboring districts.
Part of a long-term “efficiency” plan to save the district money and boost student enrollment, the school board approved the move in a 6-0 vote on Monday, with trustee Diane Sciba Villarreal absent.
NEISD already has a landing page for more information on out-of-district transfers and the application officially opens April 20. Officials say the portal will be open for about a month, giving the district time to collect all the necessary documents from other school districts before the summer break.
Like most school districts in San Antonio, NEISD’s student count has steadily decreased in recent years. This school year, NEISD lost around 2,000 students and currently serves around 55,000 students — the second largest district in the city.
By taking students from outside the district, NEISD could fill more seats at some of its under-enrolled campuses, said Interim Superintendent Anthony Jarrett.
“We will be looking at the schools that are well below capacity as our first priority to fill those seats,” Jarrett said. “What we want to do is maximize the space and the staff that we have so we’re not having to be inefficient in any of our schools.”
Last year, NEISD closed three campuses because of declining enrollment and a massive budget deficit. Today, the district still faces a deficit, and will likely continue to as long as it quickly loses students because public school funding is tied to enrollment and attendance in Texas.
Tasked with finding ways to save NEISD money, the district’s “efficiency committee” recommended a phased plan that includes accepting out-of-district transfers by next year and reviewing different student programs — including dual language programs — after the 2026-27 cycle starts.
Officials may come back to the board and recommend more closures and program consolidations if enrollment isn’t where it needs to be.
NEISD throws hat in the ring
The decision to open NEISD’s boundaries comes after similar moves from neighboring school districts.
Last year, the largest San Antonio-area district Northside ISD opened its boundaries in response to state lawmakers passing education savings accounts, a voucher-like program that would give participating families public funds to pay for private school tuition and other educations services.
Years before that, San Antonio ISD became a “district of choice” with in-district charters, later opening boundaries for all of its campuses, including traditional neighborhood schools.
NEISD is also no stranger to school choice. Current NEISD students can apply for intra district transfers, and the district has 10 magnet programs that take students from all over the city.
Now, all NEISD campuses will have seats up for grabs from families outside the district’s attendance zone.
Like NEISD, San Antonio ISD and Northside ISD have experienced declining student enrollment and budget deficits. Faced with a growing number of charter schools in recent years, sluggish birth rates in urban areas and the new school voucher program, districts will be competing for a shrinking pool of students.
How to apply from outside of NEISD
To be accepted into NEISD, students have to pass a few eligibility requirements.
Applicants must have passing grades in all core subjects classes, a 90% rate of attendance and a good disciplinary record. Also, accepting the students shouldn’t “incur a cost” to NEISD, such as having to reassign or hire new staff or provide specialized training and services the district doesn’t already have.
When applying for an out-of-district transfer, students can only show interest in one NEISD campus and siblings must apply separately. Students can’t use the transfer application to apply for a magnet school, since those schools have their own application process.
Students from outside the district must reapply for their spot every year, and those that have their transfers revoked aren’t allowed to reapply later. No transportation is provided for students who live outside of the school district.
NEISD will use a priority system to place applicants in seats. Students who live in the district get first priority, followed by students with parents or guardians who are law enforcement members, a district-initiated transfer, employee child transfers within the district, and finally, out-of-district transfers.
In the future, the district plans to keep the out-of-districts application window open longer, similar to the regular school choice applications, which opens in December and closes in July.
Tyler Shoesmith, who oversees school choice for NEISD, said applicants should find out if they’ve been accepted or denied before the summer break begins.
