The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has wrested control of the South San Antonio Independent School District from the elected school board and has appointed a new superintendent to lead the district.
Texas Public Radio reports that the move follows years of state investigations and interventions in response to issues such as board overreach, infighting and gridlock.
The TEA has appointed seven people to a board of managers that will oversee the school system; The TEA also named Saul Hinojosa as South San Antonio's superintendent. Hinojosa was the superintendent of Somerset district for 15 years before he retired in 2023.
“For far too long, the best interests of students and teachers in South San Antonio ISD were cast aside by many of the very adults elected to serve them, who instead worked in favor of their own self interests,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in announcing the state had taken over management of the district.
The elected South San Antonio board has been overseen by state monitors and conservators off and on for years, but now the state has completely taken away its ability to make decisions.
Five of the seven appointed board members are South San Antonio alumni, but only two of them live in the district.
Deputy TEA Commissioner Steve Lecholop said the agency decided to select a new superintendent in order to give South San a “complete fresh start” with a “full leadership reset.”
South San has a long history of board infighting and overreach leading to investigations.
TEA opened a new investigation into governance issues in 2019 after the South San Antonio board voted to rapidly reopen previously closed schools against the recommendation of the superintendent.
The latest state takeover is the result of an investigation opened in 2021 following complaints the board was micromanaging and attempting to take on the duties of the superintendent.
