TEA Replaces South San Antonio ISD’s Board and Superintendent

The TEA this morning announced that Education Commissioner Mike Morath has appointed a seven-member board of managers and a new superintendent to lead and operate the 7,429-student South San Antonio ISD.

Former Somerset ISD superintendent Dr. Saul Hinojosa was named the district’s new superintendent, replacing Henry Yzaguirre, a South San High School graduate who has led the district since 2021.

Two Decades of Dysfunction

The appointment of a board of managers and superintendent comes after nearly two decades of elected trustee and administrative dysfunction resulting in diminished student academic outcomes, poor financial controls, public distrust and multiple TEA investigations, the announcement said.

In September 2023, TEA and South San Antonio ISD entered into an agreed order which stayed the appointment of a board of managers for a period of at least one year and elevated Dr. Abe Saavedra from TEA-appointed monitor to conservator for the district. (Saavedra is a former South San Antonio ISD superintendent, and also previously served as superintendent for the Houston and Corpus Christi school districts.)

Documented Governance Dificiencies and Shortcomings

The commissioner’s decision to replace the district’s board and superintendent follows an agreed upon, year-long evaluation period in which the district’s elected board of trustees failed to rectify documented governance deficiencies and shortcomings, the announcement added. 

The San Antonio Express-News has more.