San Antonio Parks and Recreation to Cut Classes Amid Low attendance
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department is planning to reduce some class offerings after data revealed nearly one-third of programs consistently had no participants, officials announced this week. The cuts come as the city faces a projected budget shortfall of nearly $173 million over the next two years, though department leaders emphasize the decision is also driven by a desire to optimize resources and focus on program quality.
The issue surfaced during a comprehensive budget review, highlighting a disparity in class popularity. While some fitness classes and programs held in remote locations like North Side parks saw zero attendance, others at community centers were consistently oversubscribed as children gravitated toward preferred options. Department officials say they will prioritize maintaining popular, well-attended classes and expanding access to the city’s 19 community centers.”So, when the community would come in – kids primarily – choosing which class they want to be in, a lot of them gravitated to some more than others,” said Assistant city Manager John Garcia. “And so, we focused the reduction on where there was zero attendance.”
Sanchez, a resident who has attended Parks and Recreation classes, noted she’s experienced firsthand the low turnout. “Classes far away, like yoga classes, where there’s nobody there,” she said.
Garcia stated the department’s goal is to shift from ”programming every available space, every hour” to a model focused on “quality, not quantity.” He also announced plans to increase operating hours at community centers during a budget work session on Tuesday.
The San Antonio City Council is scheduled to vote on a final city budget on September 18.