The future of the South San Antonio Independent School District is still uncertain, just over a week away from the one-year anniversary of a settlement between the district and the Texas Education Agency to avoid the ouster of elected trustees and the appointment of a board of managers.
But Abe Saavedra, a conservator appointed by the TEA to oversee the board and guide them through corrective actions, told the San Antonio Report Thursday that the board has made substantial progress over the last year.
“Things have certainly calmed down,” he said. “We haven’t had the chaos recently that we’ve had in previous meetings, and they seem to be working with each other better.”
The board also met most of the criteria set by the state-appointed official — including the passage of a balanced budget late last month using a one-time taxing authority reserved for natural disasters and extra funds from higher-than-expected enrollment to cover a stubborn deficit that has dogged the district for years.
The TEA appointed Saavedra following multiple investigations into the board, which found severe dysfunction and poor governance affecting the operations of the district. The district has been under some form of governance on and off for the last decade.
As a former superintendent of the district, Saavedra had already been monitoring the district and reporting on them for years at the agency’s behest.
Once marred by protesters and yelling, the district’s meetings have mellowed in recent months to include less bickering between board members and the administration and more focus on student outcomes — positive developments reflected in monthly reports to the agency.
Saavedra also didn’t decide to issue any directives to the board or administration, one of the key powers given by the agency to enforce corrective actions, which could signal a path toward restoration for the district.
Not all issues have been resolved, however.
Attendance has been a consistent problem, with one trustee missing most of the meetings held over the last year. The habitual absence of Trustee Shirley Ibarra, for example, resulted in trustees and the district taking steps to remove her — with the help of local and state authorities.
At an August board meeting, the board censured the trustee, demanded her resignation, and directed an attorney to ask the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office for help removing the trustee.
Board member training is also something that the district has fallen behind on, Saavedra said.
In an interview and comments at a recent board meeting, Saavedra also flagged the lack of participation in the board election process — with no challengers for three incumbents and no challenger for a candidate who filed to replace Trustee Abel Martinez.
“Some people may interpret that as saying there’s complete confidence on the board, on the part of the community, which could be the case,” he said. “But it could also be the case that the community simply has given up.”
He added: “I think the board has a responsibility to make efforts to get their community to get involved and be interested in how the district is operating.”
With all that in mind, Saavedra said he isn’t sure what a final recommendation will look like. He added that the final choice will come from the TEA, not him as conservator.
More intervention by the state is still a real possibility.
“I have no idea at this point what direction the agency might take it,” he said. “I guess we all wait to see what the final recommendation of the TEA might be.”
The TEA did not respond to a request for comment.
Board members will discuss the settlement with the legal counsel during the closed portion of a scheduled Sept. 18 board meeting.
