|
We reviewed the upcoming agenda for SOUTH SAN ANTONIO ISD and found 8 items with policy significance ahead of the vote.
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 9) |
|
Approval of $3M Federal Head Start Grant Application
The board is approving a continuing funding application for its Head Start program, a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The total program cost exceeds $3.7M, with a federal share of $2,948,016, funding 91 staff positions, wraparound services, and social-emotional development initiatives for 288 children.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Consent Item 5 approves a continuing application for a ~$3M federal Head Start grant. Document the grant amount, source (HHS), and stated purposes, including social-emotional support and wraparound services, for the federal grants tracker.
Policy Lever: $2.9M Federal Grant
|
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 8) |
|
District Presents Audit in Preparation for Tax Rate Election
The district is presenting a mandatory efficiency audit conducted by MoakCasey, LLC, a required step before holding a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE). The audit notes the district is considering asking voters to approve adopting its remaining $0.0900 in Tier Two M&O tax rate, which is estimated to generate approximately $3,000,000 in additional annual revenue.
Policy Use
BRIEF STATE AFFAIRS: Item 5 under Presentations is an efficiency audit for a potential Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE). Alert the state team that the district is publicly considering a tax increase election to generate an additional $3M annually.
Policy Lever: $3M Potential Tax Increase
|
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 8) |
|
Library Purchase Includes Book on Transgender Youth
The board is approving campus library book purchases, including the title ‘Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans’ for Zamora Middle School. While the district states it followed state law requiring a 30-day public review period, the approval codifies the acquisition of materials promoting contested gender ideology for students.
Policy Use
BRIEF STATE AFFAIRS: Consent Item 7 approves library book purchases. The list for Zamora MS includes ‘Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans.’ Document this acquisition as evidence of local implementation of gender ideology in library collections.
Policy Lever: Contested Ideological Frameworks
|
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 7) |
|
Contract to Hire Foreign Teachers Via J-1 Visa Program
The board is approving a master service agreement with International Alliance Group, LLC, to recruit and hire foreign teachers for hard-to-fill positions through the U.S. Department of State’s J-1 Visa program. The contract contains a non-circumvention clause preventing the district from directly hiring or sponsoring these teachers for other visas for two years after the agreement ends, with significant financial penalties for violations.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Consent Item 8 approves a contract for J-1 visa teachers. Analyze the non-circumvention and penalty clauses (Sections 7.a, 7.b, 7.c) as a model for how districts can become dependent on third-party visa sponsors for staffing.
Policy Lever: Third-Party Visa Sponsorship
|
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 7) |
|
Policy Text Not Available – Pull Before Vote
The board is scheduled to approve a budget amendment as part of its consent agenda. The agenda item title does not specify the purpose or amount of the amendment, and no supporting documentation was included in the public packet.
Policy Use
PULL THE DOCUMENT: Consent Item 10 is a budget amendment with no attached documentation. Retrieve the referenced attachment from the official agenda link and confirm the operative language before the vote.
Policy Lever: Undisclosed
|
| WATCH (LEVEL 6) |
|
District Doubles Competitive Bidding Threshold to $100K
The board is approving an update to its purchasing threshold, increasing the amount for which competitive procurement is required from $50,000 to $100,000. The action is based on Texas Senate Bill 1173, which allows this increase, and will reduce the number of contracts subject to the formal bidding process.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Consent Item 11 raises the competitive bidding threshold to $100,000. Add this district to the tracker for local implementation of the new state law, as it reduces fiscal transparency and oversight.
Policy Lever: Reduced Bidding Requirements
|
|
✅ Models to Replicate
Local actions worth capturing as model policy.
|
| Model Policy (LEVEL 7) |
|
Partnership to Create ‘Grow Your Own’ Teacher Pipeline
The district is entering a Memorandum of Understanding with Texas State University to create an ‘Instructional Aide Pathway Program.’ This initiative establishes a formal pipeline for current district instructional aides to complete a bachelor’s degree in Education and obtain teacher certification while remaining employed by the district.
How to Capture It
CAPTURE THE MODEL: Consent Item 9 establishes a partnership with a local university to create a teacher pipeline from existing instructional aides. Secure the MOU text as a model policy for addressing teacher shortages through local ‘grow your own’ initiatives.
✅ Why It Matters: Teacher Pipeline Development
|
| Aligned (LEVEL 6) |
|
District Reports Board Member Training on Parental Rights
The Board President is reporting on the Board of Managers’ completion of required continuing education credits for 2025-2026. The attached training guide from the Texas Association of School Boards explicitly lists ‘Parental Rights’ as one of the nine required training areas, and the report confirms all board members have completed this training.
How to Capture It
CAPTURE THE MODEL: Item 1 under Presentations/Reports documents local implementation of a state-mandated board training on ‘Parental Rights’. Capture the TASB training document (Attachment 3) as an example of how state policy is being translated into local governance practice.
✅ Why It Matters: State Training Mandate
|
|
|
“America First, Always.”
AFPI exists to advance policies that put the American people first. Our guiding principles are liberty, free enterprise, national excellence, American military superiority, foreign-policy engagement in the American interest, and the primacy of American workers, families, and communities in all we do.
America First Policy Institute
Powered by Sentinel Engine |