San Antonio’s Southside is home to a very special community of creators, hard workers, and people that inspire–many of which own small businesses in and around the Southside. The Southside Makers and Shakers blog series showcases these unique businesses and their owners. Each addition to the series offers new insight into the community and the gente that make the Southside so unique.
This month’s feature highlights Gerardo Soto, Superintendent of Harlandale Independent School District. A proud Southside native, Soto has dedicated his career to uplifting the community that shaped him.
Harlandale Independent School District Superintendent, Geradro Soto
Tell us about yourself and Harlandale Independent School District.
My name is Gerardo Soto, and I serve as the Superintendent for Harlandale Independent School District. With a deep commitment to serving our students, families, and community, I work to ensure every child has access to a high-quality education and the resources they need to succeed. I was recently honored to be named 2025 Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), a recognition that reflects not only my efforts but the dedication and hard work of our entire district team.
What inspired you to become a leader on the Southside, and what keeps you motivated to continue your work?
I was born and raised in the Southside of San Antonio. Giving back to our beautiful community is self gratifying. Giving our young generation many opportunities to be successful citizens and actually seeing it come to fruition is the most enjoyable gift in the world.
In what ways has Harlandale ISD created meaningful community partnerships to support families beyond the classroom?
I believe that our educational institution goes beyond simply educating our children. One of our first actionable items, five and a half years ago when I was promoted to superintendent, was to turn one of our buildings into the Harlandale Cares Center, which provides mental health resources, counseling, Rise Recovery, Family Service, Texas Children’s Health Access Through Telemedicine, the Children’s Bereavement Center, and the School Age Parenting Program.
How is Harlandale ISD partnering with the community to expand opportunities and improve the well-being of students and residents?
I believe it is imperative to continue working and partnering with other organizations and leaders to open as many career pathways as possible for our children. At Harlandale ISD, we repurposed a building to create our own Maker Space, which has become a community hub hosting events focused on healthy eating, nutrition education, and physical fitness programming. Most recently, I have been involved with the newly formed CHEST nonprofit (Center for Health Equity in South Texas), a 501(c)(3) organization representing a cross-sector collaborative effort to address the medical and non-medical drivers of health affecting Southside residents.
What do you think makes the Southside unique compared to other parts of San Antonio?
The Southside of San Antonio has the charm of its own small town, a close-knit and prideful community where it feels like everyone knows each other. Here, the “one degree of separation” is more than a saying; it is a way of life.
Looking to the future, what initiatives or projects are you most excited about, and how do you believe they will benefit our city and its residents?
We have many initiatives in our district, but the two I am most excited about involve partnerships with higher education. We have a strong relationship with Palo Alto College, and we recently partnered with Texas A&M–San Antonio. Research showed that while many of our students were attending a two-year college, there was an opportunity to increase the number who go on to earn a bachelor’s degree. This new partnership allows our students to start at a university and complete all four years there to earn their degree.
We are also exploring a potential partnership that would create new opportunities for students in the manufacturing and industrial fields.
Where can people learn more about Harlandale ISD?
Stay up to date on all the progress we are making at harlendale.net