Resource Center

• By Hector Bojorquez • IDRA Newsletter • January 2026 •

Seven high school students from seven school districts came together to evaluate elements of Future Ready Bexar County, an initiative to significantly increase the number of students in the San Antonio area who are prepared for, apply to and successfully enroll in college.

Future Ready Bexar County is coordinated by UP Partnership and involves school districts, youth development organizations, including IDRA, local colleges, civic entities and corporate partners. UP Partnership contracted with IDRA to facilitate a group of students to conduct their youth-led evaluation.

Their role is not symbolic. These students have spent months studying Future Ready Bexar County goals, institutional agreements, school district commitments, and action plans. They paid close attention to how districts are approaching the three pillars of the initiative: healing, college access and student voice.

During the summer of 2025, the students met weekly to study their school districts’ efforts. IDRA trained them in evaluation methods as the students created sophisticated surveys. These students were not asked to promote the school districts’ work. They were asked to examine it and reflect honestly on what they observed. They are now collecting data that will be shared with Future Ready Bexar County partners once the students analyze and write up their results.

In late 2025, I asked them to pause and reflect on their work to date by responding to three questions about their dreams for after graduation, what they understood about the Future Ready Bexar County initiative and their biggest concerns moving forward. (Note: Their names are not shared here for confidentiality.)

Students viewed leadership opportunities and student representation as essential to ensuring that policies and programs reflect the realities of student experiences rather than assumptions made about them.

When asked about their post-high-school dreams, the students’ responses made something immediately clear: students already understand what opportunity looks like, and they want it to be shared.

Their aspirations include college degrees, military service, entrepreneurship and stable careers that provide both financial security and personal fulfillment. One student described their hope as having the opportunity “to not just succeed but excel” and wanting the same for their peers.

The students emphasized that postsecondary success should not be narrowly defined but should include multiple pathways that enable young people to pursue futures aligned with their interests and strengths.

As students examined the work within Future Ready Bexar County, they demonstrated a strong understanding of its key goal: increasing postsecondary enrollment of high school graduates in degree or credential programs from 52% in 2022 to 70% by 2030. They recognize that the 70% enrollment goal requires building systems that prepare students academically, socially and emotionally for life after high school.

Students discussed the role of school district action plans and their alignment around the three Future Ready Bexar County pillars.

They described healing as foundational, not supplemental. Students connected mental health supports and developmental relationships directly to college readiness. They noted that when schools prioritize student well-being, students are better positioned to think about college and long-term goals.

They framed access as equitable exposure to college and career opportunities, including advising, early college coursework and partnerships with colleges. Several students referenced experiences, such as campus visits and interactions with college representatives, as important moments that help demystify college and make it feel attainable.

Student voice emerged as the pillar students felt most strongly about. For them, voice means more than representation on paper. It means being heard early and taken seriously.

One student stated that students want “their voices to be heard before they are ready to leave high school.” Students viewed leadership opportunities and student representation as essential to ensuring that policies and programs reflect the realities of student experiences rather than assumptions made about them.

At the same time, the students raised concerns that deserve careful attention. A central worry was whether school district action plans would genuinely include students in decision making or whether student voice would be acknowledged without meaningful influence.

They also questioned whether district equity commitments will reach those who have historically been pushed aside, including first generation students, students in low-income families, justice involved youth and students with disciplinary histories.

One student reflected that these students are “almost always told that they shouldn’t aim high,” a message that limits both confidence and opportunity.

The student team also expressed concerns about implementation and sustainability. They recognize that schools are already managing significant demands and that initiatives related to healing, youth engagement and college access require staffing, coordination and long-term investment.

One student cautioned, “Even if staff increased… the scale of need in some schools still heavily outweighs it.”

Others raised questions about whether resources will be equitably distributed across communities and whether differences in school district funding could shape who ultimately benefits from Future Ready Bexar County efforts.

What these reflections reveal is a deeper understanding than students are usually given credit for. They understand that improving college outcomes requires systems that match high expectations with real support. They understand that opportunity for all cannot be achieved without addressing the needs of those who have been most marginalized.

Their insights reinforce a central truth: Future Ready Bexar County will succeed if healing, access and voice are treated as interconnected conditions for student success. If the goal is truly to prepare students for what comes next, students themselves must remain at the center of the work as co-creators, shaping the path forward.

Hector Bojorquez is IDRA’s director of operations and educational practice (hector.bojorquez@idra.org).

FAQs

What is Future Ready Bexar County?
It is a regional initiative focused on increasing college enrollment and success for San Antonio-area students.

Who conducted the evaluation?
Seven high school students from seven school districts, supported by IDRA, led the evaluation.

What did students evaluate?
Students examined district commitments, action plans and implementation across healing, college access and student voice.

What stood out most to students?
Student voice mattered most to participants, especially being heard early and taken seriously in decision making.

What concerns did students raise?
They questioned whether student input would influence decisions and whether resources would be equitably distributed.

[© 2026, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the January edition of the IDRA Newsletter. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]