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San Antonio community member urges KIPP Texas to explain leadership conduct after costume report; students’ petition tops 600
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Summary
Jenny Stevenson told the KIPP Texas board that a November news report about a leader’s costume has prompted student organizing and more than 600 petition signatures; she asked the board to explain what steps, if any, will be taken to rebuild trust with students and the San Antonio community.
Jenny Stevenson, a San Antonio community member with 17 years of experience in education, told the KIPP Texas board on Feb. 26 that a November 26, 2025 San Antonio Express-News item about a KIPP San Antonio leader wearing a costume described in the article has led students to organize a petition that had more than 600 signatures as of the meeting.
“I have 17 years of experience in education,” Stevenson said. “Students are using their voices, and I hope those voices are heard.” She said the reporting and subsequent discussions have produced differing interpretations in the community and that prolonged silence from leadership can be read as a lack of engagement with community concerns.
Stevenson asked the board to clarify how leadership will be held to expectations comparable to those staff are reminded to meet, and what steps, if any, KIPP Texas will take to restore trust with students, staff and the broader San Antonio community. “They deserve a response and deserve to understand what steps, if any, will be taken to restore trust,” she said.
Ellen Spalding, KIPP Texas legal counsel, had earlier reminded the board that public comment is limited to three minutes and that the board does not comment on nonagenda items during open session; she said appropriate follow-up would be handled by KIPP Texas leadership after the meeting. The board did not provide a public response during the session.
The public comment referenced a November 26, 2025 San Antonio Express-News article; the meeting transcript quotes the article’s phrasing. Stevenson said the article noted that KIPP “expressed regret regarding the negative impact on trust within the community,” but she said she found no public communication laying out next steps. She recommended that the board provide clarity for students who have made their concerns public.
The meeting record shows no formal board action on the matter. The board adjourned to executive session later in the meeting; the transcript indicates the presenter said some details of a recent finding would be discussed in executive session.
