SAN ANTONIO – Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath notified the South San Independent School District Board of Trustees Thursday that he is beginning the process of identifying potential board members to take control of the school district.

In early November, the conservative who oversees the South San ISD Board of Trustees wrote a letter to Morath and recommended the creation of a board to govern the district.

Morath directed his staff to “gauge the level of interest within the community to serve on a future board.”

In his letter to the district, Morath invited administrators to meet with him to discuss Dr. Abelardo Saavedra for the district.

Saavedra was appointed superintendent for the district by the Texas Education Agency in September 2023. He served as superintendent of South San ISD from 2014 to 2019.

In his letter, Saavedra said a board 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 the best practices and can offer wisdom. strong oversight and governance.”

Saavedra noted in the letter that the board did not meet specific benchmarks set by the Texas Education Agency for the South San ISD School Board. Saavedra wrote that the board “has not yet met any exit criteria.”

Saavedra wrote in the letter that board members did not complete state-required training. He added that the reason it was not completed was that at least one council member was absent from training.

“This blatant disregard for Texas law and lack of initiative in pursuing growth opportunities gives me serious concerns about whether this board has the proper mindset or ability to govern the district effectively,” Saavedra wrote.

In terms of district governance, Saavedra wrote that the board devoted about 30 percent of its meeting time to student outcomes, which is about half of what TEA expects from school boards. He also referred to discord among board members and the lack of attendance of board members at meetings.

“This lack of commitment at such a critical time for the board gives me serious concerns about their willingness to continue governing the district,” Saavedra wrote.

Saavedra also cited specific incidents between board members to illustrate the board’s unwillingness to work with Superintendent Henry Yzaguirre and communicate with staff and the public. Saavedra cited several meetings where the board “struggled to maintain proper decorum.” He even mentioned the arrest of board member Abel Martinez in October 2023 for an incident during that month’s meeting. Those charges were later dismissed, according to Saavedra.

Saavedra added that the council does not communicate or interact with its constituents or the community. Saavedra wrote that he recommended to the board president that he host a series of public meetings to educate potential school board candidates, but those meetings never took place. Saavedra said that as a result, the November election was canceled because each race had only one candidate.

In a statement to KSAT, South San ISD Director of Communications Alexis LaFosse said:

“This morning, the TEA-appointed conservator who oversees the South San Antonio Independent School District made a recommendation to the TEA commissioner to replace our current Board of Trustees with a state-appointed Board of Trustees. At this time, we have not received any official communication from TEA regarding a final decision on this recommendation. We understand the importance of this decision and want to assure our students, staff and families that we remain committed to doing what is in the best interest of the SSAISD community. Our focus will continue to be on providing a high-quality education and supporting our students, employees and families throughout this process.”