San Antonio Independent School District
March 2000
For at least two years, the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) has been in dire need of clear direction. Poor financial decisions, lagging student performance and a lack of careful planning have left the district's reputation and its financial viability at risk.TSPR in SAISD
Despite per-student spending considerably above the state average, the district's student test scores have lagged.
In 1999, SAISD was among the lowest of the seven largest Texas school districts in student performance on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). The district's finances have been rocky as well. In 1999, the board passed a 10-percent, across-the-board employee pay raise and a significant tax cut without reducing other budget items. To make ends meet, the board spent nearly half of the district's reserve fund--its savings account. This left its cash on hand so dangerously low that the state's commissioner of education issued a formal warning to the district.
The board also dismissed SAISD's superintendent, buying out her contract for nearly $800,000, a move that violated state law which prohibits buyouts for more than the value of one year's salary and benefits. TEA threatened to deduct almost the full amount of the buyout from SAISD's state funding.
In September 1999, my office began a performance review of SAISD in accordance with authority granted my office by the Texas Legislature. Typically, the Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) visits a school district at the invitation of its school board and superintendent. This review is the first time I've exerted my authority to examine the operations of a district that is poor performing academically or financially, or serves the greatest number of students. SAISD met all three criteria--problems that can be attributed, at least in part, to ineffective leadership.This district is the state's seventh largest with 59,080 students. About 95 percent are minority, and 87 percent are classified as economically disadvantaged. The 1999-2000 budget was $390 million.
When we began this review, SAISD had not had a permanent superintendent for five months. This leadership vacuum was filled by instances of board micromanagement that drew intense criticism from the community. A late-night purge of SAISD personnel, for example, proved so unpopular that the board promptly rehired many of those fired.
Too often, SAISD's board questioned even the smallest administrative decisions that should be left to district managers.
While troubled, SAISD has still shown a willingness to make the hard decisions needed to improve the delivery of education services to its students.
While TSPR was conducting the review, SAISD froze hiring to trim more than $20 million from its $410 million budget for fiscal 1999-2000 - a step made necessary because of poor board planning and decision-making. And, while student performance has improved, TAAS scores in 1999 were still 17 percentage points below the state average.
In December 1999, the district hired a permanent superintendent. Under his direction, the district must now seek ways to improve financially and academically. This will require better planning and the cooperation of all concerned parties.
After nearly six months of review, we have found a number of ways to improve district operations. If the district fully implements the recommendations in this report, SAISD would achieve a net savings of more than $25.1 million over the next five years. That's education dollars that can go directly into the classroom, to the teachers and children, where it belongs.
The review also found laudable practices that can and should serve as models for other school districts.
I would like to extend my personal thanks to SAISD's dedicated employees and parents, as well as board members and community members who contributed valuable ideas and suggestions. As always, we are ready to do anything and everything we can to help SAISD implement our recommendations. My door is always open to Texans who want to improve our schools. Your suggestions are welcome at any time.
Carole Keeton Rylander
Comptroller of Public Accounts