The Texas Education Agency has begun the process of identifying prospective community members who would be willing to serve on a Board of Managers overseeing the South San Antonio Independent School District in place of elected trustees.
Education Commissioner Mike Morath notified all board members in a letter Thursday that he is still conducting a “fact-finding review” into the actions and activities of the board over the last year, and has not yet determined whether a board will be appointed.
“At this time, I have not yet determined if the appointment of a Board of Managers is warranted,” he said in the letter. “If there is sufficient evidence that the Board of Trustees addressed the concerns raised in the investigation, there will be no changes to the district’s existing governance leadership team.”
If Morath determines that intervention is needed “to best serve the students of your district,” a board of managers will be appointed.
School board members would be unable to protest if they are replaced by a state-appointed board after they waived that authority last year in exchange for the agency delaying the appointment decision for a year.
In his review, Morath will consider the monthly reports produced by the conservator overseeing the board, Abe Saavedra, and invited board leadership to meet with him to “provide their perspective on the Board’s conduct and actions over the past year, as well as the issues identified by Dr. Saavedra.”
Saavedra sent a letter to Morath last week urging him to install a board of managers, saying that the solution would “facilitate a clean break from the governance failures that have persisted in South San Antonio ISD and facilitate an opportunity for the district to be governed by community members who can implement best practices and provide wise oversight and strong governance.”
He also raised concerns about a lack of civic engagement in the community which could pose a challenge in identifying community members to serve on a board of managers. That, Morath said in his letter, is why he asked his staff to begin the process of finding potential candidates.
The initial recommendation to appoint a board of managers came after the agency found, through multiple investigations, that the South San board “violated multiple laws relating to governance, including failure to properly collaborate with the district’s superintendent and operating outside of the board’s authority.”
It is unclear when Morath will make a final determination, but he said in the letter that “until then, it is my hope that the Board of Trustees works together in a cooperative and productive manner to address the issues identified for and in the best interests of the students and families in the district.”