Toyota Texas leaders announced Monday it is giving grants of up to $6.5 million over five years to the East Central Independent School District.
The grants will give students and teachers access to tools and programs that support workforce development, including “foundational skills, build confidence and forge an individualized path to success,” according to a statement from Toyota.
The grants are part of the company’s “Driving Possibilities” initiative and San Antonio is the ninth location where the program has been launched.
With the added funding, students in select schools within the district will have the opportunity to participate in a new STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program and teachers will be offered professional development, mentorship and other tools for STEM instruction.
“Toyota’s commitment to giving is truly remarkable, lifting up students and inspiring them to reach their full potential,” said Roland Toscano, superintendent of East Central ISD. “Together, we are customizing learning experiences that challenge every student to grow academically and personally, helping to inspire their success in the classroom and beyond.”
The program is a collaboration between Toyota USA Foundation, East Central ISD and Texas A&M University San Antonio’s Institute for School and Community Partnerships.
Another partner is the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County which plans to open a family resource center as part of the program at the Pecan Valley STEM Academy campus. The “Dual Generation” initiative is expected to provide families in the district with workforce training, education programs and child care.
“Education and workforce development are longtime priorities for Toyota Texas,” said Susann Kazunas, president of Toyota Texas, which broke ground on the South Side in 2003. “The future of our company and other companies across Texas depend on strong pipelines of students prepared to be the workforce of tomorrow.”
Budget shortfall
Late last year, Kazunas said at a forum put on by the nonprofit Bexar County Education Coalition that quality takes intentional investment. “That’s what our public school system needs now more than ever,” she said.
Last session, the Texas Legislature looked likely to make a major investment in the public education system, until Gov. Greg Abbott’s insistence that a school voucher program be tied to public school funding sunk that prospect.
As a result, some Bexar County-area school districts, including those around Toyota’s manufacturing plant, closed campuses, laid off staff, slashed summer programs and put the brakes on major infrastructure projects in their efforts to save money.
This session, the State Senate has already passed a bill that would give Texas families $10,000 a year per student in public taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s tuition at an accredited private school and other expenses.
But opponents say the voucher program will financially undermine public schools by drawing students — and state funds — away from local districts. The bill now goes to the Texas House for consideration.
The student population in the sprawling East Central ISD is expected to double in the next eight years. But in 2024 voters rejected a proposed tax increase and three bond issues that would have helped the district upgrade aging sports facilities and build new school facilities as it grapples with its exploding enrollment.
Also, without that funding, the district estimated its projected $2.4 million budget shortfall would balloon to roughly $9 million in the coming years.
Rear axles
In 2024, Toyota announced plans to invest $531 million in expanding the factory, building a new rear axle plant. The company estimated the facility will bring 411 new jobs to the area with a base hourly wage of $20.54, and an average annual salary of $68,245.
Officials from both the city and county approved economic development incentive packages tied to the project.
When complete, the plant will supply rear axles for the Toyota Tundra and Sequoia models assembled on-site, and the Toyota Tacoma assembled in Mexico. It is expected to start operations in 2026.
“We are proud of how that growth reflects our commitment to South Texas,” Kazunas added.
Toyota opened the $2.1 billion plant and in 2015 started to build a line of full-size Tundra trucks. In 2010, the company put another $100 million into the plant to support production of the mid-size Tacoma.
“For more than 20 years, Toyota has played a critical role in the booming Texas economy,” Abbott said. “This $6.5 million in grants to East Central ISD will help equip students in San Antonio with the skills they need to get good-paying jobs in high-demand industries like auto manufacturing.”
