Leticia Ozuna is an SAISD graduate and works as a compliance leader at Accenture Federal Services.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
I’m a third generation SAISD alumni and a proud parent of an SAISD graduate. I obtained my Bachelors from the University of Texas at Austin and my Masters of Science in Cybersecurity at Our Lady of the Lake University. I have worked for over 25 years in software systems engineering, but if you had asked me in 8th grade, I would have said math was my least favorite subject. It took teachers like Lilia Gomez-Luna at Rogers Middle School who is teaching our 6th graders to love math so by the time they’re in 8th grade and taking Algebra they say it’s their favorite time of day. They come to school and can’t wait to show incoming students the classroom they love. I’m running because I want to be able to preserve that kind of love for learning and that quality of teaching for all of our students.
List any previous experience in the community or in the education field, such as participation in parent teacher associations, local boards and commissions or neighborhood associations.
I have committed myself to over a decade of Public Service. I started out like many people do in my own neighborhood, I was an active parent on the PTA, my children’s sports teams, as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and of course on the Board and served as President of the Highland Park Neighborhood Association. I was then tapped to serve on the San Antonio Parks Bond Committee. In 2012 I was unanimously selected by the City Council to fill a vacancy for the District 3 City Council position. I was also appointed by the Mayor to serve as a Trustee for the San Antonio Water System and dutifully left my post when I was elected to the SAISD Board of Trustees in 2021.
If elected, you’ll likely be facing a budget deficit and the possibility of funding hamstrung by the state. How would you approach these issues? Where should the district turn to save money if needed?
I’ve worked closely with fellow trustees, teachers, administration and the community, facilitating nearly two dozen meetings on the issue of right-sizing. That is, reorganizing for efficiency, but more than that, finding the appropriate mix of use, cultural fit, compatibility, and resource management for our district and its unique challenges to ensure each campus is the best it can be. Even so, like most districts, we have already made plans to cut our budget in the face of deficits. Since my time on the Board, we have consistently reduced expenses while protecting classrooms. We have already identified $45 million in Central Office cuts, preserving our commitment to protecting classrooms and have committed to $51 million in cuts over the next three years so we can continue to support our teachers, retaining as many teaching and support staff as possible, while also increasing their compensation to offset the expected impacts of increased inflation.
What do you think the district’s biggest challenges are in the coming years, and what should be the board’s top areas of focus?
Managing and modernizing our aging facilities to accommodate the needs of our students and staff, maintaining safe and secure campuses, as well as the social, emotional and mental wellness of our staff and students are my top priorities. It’s important that we cultivate a culture that expects excellence but also demands accountability. We are one of the oldest, largest, most diverse, most economically challenged districts in the state, and yet the communities that make up our schools are strong, vibrant, and amazingly accomplished. It’s our job, as trustees, to ensure the resources we have at our disposal are appropriately and equitably distributed and that our policies prioritize our students. We want them to thrive in whatever environment they are in, be it an academy, an in-district charter, or a traditional neighborhood school of choice. All that has to happen, regardless of the political winds or economic pressures of the day.
Please list any relevant endorsements in this race.
Being such a diverse district means we have many distinct voices and so I’m proud to have the support of my fellow school board members, especially, the President of our School Board, Christina Martinez and fellow trustee, former Mayor, Ed Garza, as well as a number of SAISD families and Staff. Outstanding Community members have given their support and it means the world to be supported by pillars in our community such as Pat Jasso, former SAWS board member and Current Board member of University Health System and Brooks San Antonio.
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