{"id":950161,"date":"2026-07-21T18:39:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/950161\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T18:39:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:39:30","slug":"san-antonio-isd-hires-superintendent-with-past-cheating-scandal-to-fix-budget-deficit-avoid-state-takeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/950161\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio ISD hires superintendent with past cheating scandal to fix budget deficit, avoid state takeover"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Adrian Bustillos most recently served as chief transformation officer at Aldine ISD. Credit: Courtesy of SAISD<\/p>\n

Facing a budget deficit and the looming possibility of a state takeover, San Antonio ISD\u2019s trustees on Monday voted 5-2 to approve Adrian Bustillos as the district\u2019s new superintendent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe Adrian Bustillos is the leader for this moment,\u201d Board President Alicia Sebastian said in a written statement.<\/p>\n

But his hiring isn\u2019t without controversy. <\/p>\n

Trustees Stephanie Torres and Jacob Ramos voted against Bustillos\u2019 appointment, citing concerns about a cheating scandal<\/a> he was involved in during his tenure as assistant superintendent at El Paso ISD in 2017. During that time, the educator was accused of manipulating student test-participation and -accountability data to bolster the district\u2019s academic ratings.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the cheating allegations prompted the Texas Education Agency to take over that district.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do we justify overlooking this when selecting the leader of our new venture school district? Would we allow a student caught cheating to become valedictorian?\u201d Ramos asked rhetorically during Monday\u2019s meeting. \u201cThe answer is no.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even so, trustee and former San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza pushed back, noting that nobody is perfect.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery candidate had a red flag,\u201d Garza said. \u201cEvery candidate had something that could become a headline. It\u2019s our job to be able to weigh those pros and cons of every candidate\u2019s strengths and weaknesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the Board\u2019s vote, Bustillos, who most recently served as chief transformation officer at Aldine ISD, accepted the job and promised a big turnaround for the district. <\/p>\n

\u201cNext year, you\u2019ll be reading the headlines: how San Antonio ISD transformed the entire system,\u201d Bustillos pledged. <\/p>\n

Bustillos may need that kind of self-assurance given the challenges SAISD faces.<\/p>\n

Bustillo\u2019s predecessor, Jaime Aquino, abruptly announced in March <\/a>that he would end his tenure in January 2027. However, as SAISD stares down a looming $46 million budget deficit, Aquino and the board agreed that he would depart this month.<\/p>\n

One of the first things on Bustillos\u2019 agenda will be to raises academic improvement across campuses to avoid a state takeover.<\/p>\n

As of press time, nine SAISD campuses are at risk of receiving a fourth consecutive \u201cunacceptable rating\u201d from the state, the Express-News reports<\/a>. A fifth consecutive rating after the upcoming academic year would give the TEA a strong argument to take control of district operations.<\/p>\n

The TEA currently controls eight public school districts statewide for similar reasons.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"San\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe Texas Education Agency seized control of El Paso ISD while Adrian Bustillos was serving as assistant superintendent there. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Texas\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tSAISD officials said the agency closed its probe after the district handed over requested documents about an allegation of child abuse on one of its campuses. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"San\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tSAISD chief of staff Toni Thompson will assume the role on July 1, taking over at a challenging time for the district.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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