San Antonio ISD town hall draws thousands of community responses as trustees shape superintendent search

San Antonio ISD trustees convened a community town hall on April 27 to gather local priorities and concerns as the district prepares to name a new superintendent. The meeting, led by the board and search consultant John Troy of Working Together Talent Consulting, featured two hours of public comment and a presentation of the search timeline.

The discussion opened with a presentation of the districts developing "theory of action," the timeline for the search and an explanation of how community input will shape a leadership profile that will guide recruitment and selection. "Tonight is all about getting your voice and hearing your voice," said John Troy, founder and CEO of Working Together Talent Consulting, who said the search team had already received over 1,200 survey responses and would incorporate town-hall comments into the candidate profile.

Why it matters: The board is aiming to name a lone finalist before July 1 so a new superintendent can be prepared for the next school year. Community members said that timeline matters because the district faces immediate challengesfrom declining enrollment and budget shortfalls to a large number of campuses needing academic support.

Public priorities and concerns Community speakers repeatedly urged that the next superintendent be student-centered, visible in neighborhoods and experienced in classroom instruction. "We need someone who values our teachers and has classroom experience," said Cynthia Beaver, a reading specialist at Carvajal Elementary, who argued that K2D literacy must be a "non-negotiable" priority.

Attendees raised several recurring concerns: - Literacy and learning: Multiple teachers and reading specialists pressed for a focused K2D literacy strategy so students read to learn by upper grades. - Budget and right-sizing: Parents and community leaders called for transparency around budget cuts and a public master-planning process for underutilized campuses so resources are aligned to classroom needs. - Special education and homebound services: Parents of students with disabilities asked for clearer, faster processes and said delays in assistive technologies and communication had harmed students. - Enrollment, immigration and community safety: Several speakers linked recent enrollment declines to higher immigration enforcement in some neighborhoods and urged a superintendent willing to work with local partners to reassure families. - Community engagement in finalist review: Rose Hill, president of the Government Hill Neighborhood Association, asked whether top candidates could meet community members. Trustees and the consultant said that confidentiality for applicants is standard but that finalistsprofiles and community engagement opportunities would be made available once confidentiality restrictions no longer apply.

On charter schools and workforce issues, Miranda Isager, a middle school teacher, warned that the expansion of charter schools and wealth inequality were affecting staffing and students, and that the new superintendent must be prepared to address those pressures.

Process, confidentiality and next steps Trustees and the search consultant emphasized that the search firm will recruit broadly, vet candidates and present finalists for board consideration. The board explained that applicant confidentiality protects candidates who currently hold district leadership posts elsewhere, but that the leadership profile derived from public input will be published and used in interviews.

Key administrative dates reiterated at the meeting: the community survey (launched April 21) remains open through the coming Wednesday; the application period is scheduled to open May 4 and close May 26; the board aims to name a lone finalist before July 1. Outgoing superintendent Dr. Kino will remain on contract into the school year to support transition planning.

What trustees heard and promised Trustees said they heard a consistent list of priorities: community-centered leadership, visible engagement in neighborhoods, student-focused decision-making, fiscal discipline that aligns resources to student outcomes, and a leader with demonstrated results and a background in teaching.

The trustees committed to further public engagement on budget and campus master planning this summer to ensure transparency around any right-sizing decisions and to gather community input before formal actions.

The meeting was recorded and will be posted to the districts superintendent-search page; the board adjourned at 8:29 p.m.