SAN ANTONIO – Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath informed the South San Independent School District board of trustees Thursday that he is beginning the process of identifying potential board members to take over school district control.

Earlier in November, the curator overseeing the South San ISD board wrote a letter to Morath and recommended establishing a board of trustees to govern the district.

Morath asked his team to “assess the level of interest within the community in serving on a possible board of directors.”

In his letter to the district, Morath invited administrators to meet with him to discuss Dr. Abelardo Saavedra’s recommendations for the district.

Saavedra was named district conservator by the Texas Education Agency in September 2023. He served as superintendent of South San ISD from 2014 to 2019.

In his letter, Saavedra said a board would “facilitate a clean break from the governance failures that have persisted in South San Antonio ISD and make it easier for the district to be governed by members of the community capable of implementing best practices and providing sound advice. strong oversight and governance.

Saavedra mentioned in the letter that the board failed to meet specific criteria set by the Texas Education Agency for the South San ISD school board. Saavedra wrote that the board “has not yet met any exit criteria.”

Saavedra wrote in the letter that board members did not complete state-required training. He added that the reason it has not been completed is because at least one board member was absent for training.

“This blatant disregard for Texas law and lack of initiative in pursuing growth opportunities gives me serious concerns about whether this board has the appropriate mindset or ability to govern effectively the district,” Saavedra wrote.

Regarding district governance, Saavedra wrote that the school board spent about 30 percent of its meeting time on student outcomes, about half of what the TEA expects of school boards. He also cited discord among board members and lack of board member attendance at meetings.

“This lack of engagement at such a critical time for the board gives me serious concerns about their willingness to govern the district in the future,” Saavedra wrote.

Saavedra also cited specific incidents between board members to illustrate the board’s lack of willingness to collaborate with Superintendent Henry Yzaguirre and communicate with staff and the public. Saavedra cited several meetings in which the board “struggled to maintain appropriate decorum.” He even discussed the arrest of board member Abel Martinez in October 2023 for an incident at that month’s meeting. Those charges were later dismissed, according to Saavedra.

Saavedra added that the board does not communicate or engage with its constituents or the community. Saavedra wrote that he recommended that the board president hold a series of meetings with the public to educate potential school board candidates, but those meetings never took place. Saavedra said that as a result, the November election was canceled because each race had only one candidate.

In a statement to KSAT, South San ISD Director of Communications Alexis LaFosse said:

“This morning, the TEA-appointed curator overseeing the South San Antonio Independent School District recommended to the TEA Commissioner that we replace our current board with a state-appointed board. At this time, we have not received any official communication from TEA regarding a final decision on this recommendation. We understand the importance of this decision and want to assure our students, staff and families that we remain committed to doing what is in the best interest of the SSAISD community. Our focus will continue to be on providing a high-quality education and supporting our students, employees and families throughout this process.