SAN ANTONIO – Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath notified the South San Independent School District Board of Trustees on Thursday that he has begun the process of identifying potential board members who will take control of the school district.

In early November, the conservator who oversees the South San ISD Board of Trustees wrote a letter to Morath recommending that a board of administrators be appointed to govern the district.

Morath instructed his staff to “gauge the community’s level of interest in serving on a potential Board of Governors.”

In his letter to the district, Morath urged the board of trustees to advise Dr. He invited Abelardo Saavedra to meet with him to discuss his recommendations for the region.

Saavedra was appointed custodian for the district by the Texas Education Agency in September 2023. He served as superintendent of Southern San ISD from 2014 to 2019.

In his letter, Saavedra said a board would “facilitate a clean recovery from ongoing governance failures in South San Antonio ISD and an opportunity for the district to be governed by community members who can implement best practices and offer smart solutions.” oversight and strong management.”

In the letter, Saavedra stated that the board failed to meet certain criteria set by the Texas Education Agency for the South San ISD School Board. The board “has not yet completed any exit criteria,” Saavedra wrote.

Saavedra wrote in the letter that board members had not completed state-required training. He added that the reason it was not completed was that at least one of the board members did not attend the training.

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

On the district’s governance, Saavedra wrote that the board devoted about 30% of its meeting time to student outcomes; That’s about half of what TEA expects from school boards. He also touched on disagreements between board members and board members’ failure to attend meetings.

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

Saavedra also cited specific incidents among board members to illustrate the board’s reluctance to cooperate with Superintendent Henry Yzaguirre and communicate with staff and the public. Saavedra cited several meetings where the board “had difficulty maintaining proper etiquette.” He even mentioned that board member Abel Martinez was arrested in October 2023 due to an incident at that month’s meeting. These accusations were later dismissed, according to Saavedra.

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

South San ISD Communications Director Alexis LaFosse said in a statement to KSAT:

“This morning, the TEA-appointed conservator who oversees the South San Antonio Independent School District made a recommendation to the TEA Commissioner to replace our current Board of Trustees with a state-appointed Board of Governors. There is currently no official word from TEA regarding a final decision on this recommendation.” “We understand the importance of this decision and want to reassure our students, staff, and families that we are committed to doing what is in the best interest of the SSAISD community. Our focus will continue to be on providing a quality education and supporting our students, staff, and families during this time.”