San Antonio – The city’s fiscal shortfall is hitting one of the region’s most vital youth‑education nonprofits. SA Youth, which runs the SOAR (See Our Achievements Rise) program to help disconnected young adults earn high school diplomas, received only about 10% of the funding it needs for this fiscal year.
Program growth outpaces city support
When SA Youth launched SOAR in 2021, the inaugural class consisted of just ten students. Today the organization serves cohorts of 40 learners at a time and graduates roughly 120 students each year with a high school diploma. President and CEO Maria Benavidez estimates that roughly 35,000 San Antonio residents aged 16 to 24 fall into the category of being disconnected from school and the workforce.
Beyond academics, SOAR provides case management and mental‑health services, positioning the program as a comprehensive safety net for at‑risk youth. The program is free for participants, but demand has outstripped resources, leaving a waitlist of up to 250 applicants.
Funding crunch forces staff cuts
The city’s $158 million budget deficit has forced leaders to trim allocations for community organizations. As a result, SA Youth’s therapy staff has been slashed from four full‑time therapists to a single part‑time therapist who now serves 40 students at a time. Benavidez says the organization has avoided reducing class sizes, opting instead to cut staff to stretch limited funds.
“We are in survival mode constantly,” Benavidez told reporters. “The $10 donors, you know, they add up.” She emphasized that the nonprofit is actively seeking private foundation grants and individual donations to bridge the gap left by dwindling public support.
Commitment to students remains firm
Despite the financial pressure, SA Youth will not abandon the students who rely on its services. “Absolutely not,” Benavidez affirmed. “We will find a way because there is a need and these students need us.” Interviews for the January cohort are slated to begin in November, and applicants must reside in Bexar County, be between 16 and 24 years old, and have left school with at least one high school credit.
The situation underscores a broader challenge for San Antonio’s social‑service sector: balancing a growing need for supportive programs with a constrained municipal budget. Community leaders and donors are urged to consider the long‑term benefits of investing in youth education and mental‑health services, which can reduce future reliance on public assistance and strengthen the city’s workforce.
Looking ahead
City officials have not yet announced a specific plan to restore funding for SA Youth or similar nonprofits. In the meantime, the organization hopes that increased private philanthropy will sustain its mission until the municipal budget stabilizes.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
