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Trips to Hawaii, parking at San Antonio International Airport
San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) has spent over $46,000 on travel for seven members of its executive cabinet since mid-2024, according to recent records. This expenditure has raised eyebrows, especially in light of the district’s ongoing financial challenges.
Leading the travel statistics is Dr. Shawn Bird, the district’s deputy superintendent, who has taken at least 17 trips on behalf of SAISD. One particular trip in June 2025 for a conference at the University of Virginia has come under scrutiny.
Bird’s travel expenses included a round-trip flight originally booked from San Antonio costing $1,045.62. However, records show that he later changed his itinerary to depart from Houston and return from Kahului, Hawaii, incurring a total cost of $1,070.57.
In response to concerns raised about his travel choices, Bird acknowledged the point and mentioned, “That’s how I would do it in the future if I was ever going to travel personally after district businesses.”
Despite the district facing a significant budget shortfall of $46 million, which has led to cuts in some music programs like mariachi, Bird defended his travel by stating, “We also need to make sure that the district is operating in a healthy manner. And my travel has really been related to improving outcomes for students.”
In addition to the Virginia trip, records indicate Bird also traveled from Houston to a conference in San Diego, which cost the district $1,023.96. Uniquely, Bird had the district cover his parking fees at San Antonio International Airport on three separate occasions, totaling around $150.
When asked about future travel, Bird stated, “There will be no further travel.”
The cost of business?
Further scrutiny reveals that the district allocated more than $36,000 to send six SAISD school board members to various conferences across the nation. In total, the combined travel expenses for Bird, the executive cabinet, and the board have surpassed $120,000.
This amount is equivalent to the salary of two first-year teachers, raising concerns among educators and community members. SAISD teacher Cynthia Beaver expressed her thoughts, saying, “That could have been to support staff helping, you know, tutor or doing other things that the schools actually desperately need. That’s a lot.”
