San Antonio Independent School District has placed two of its most senior administrators, Deputy Superintendent Patti Salzmann and Chief of Staff Toni Thompson, on paid administrative leave while the district pursues a forensic review of how it spent money from its $1.3 billion 2020 bond program. Both have been on leave since Sept. 4, according to sources with direct knowledge.
Board Seeks Targeted Review of Bond Spending
SAISD sought proposals on Aug. 19 from independent accounting firms for a targeted forensic examination of its 2020 bond program, the San Antonio Express-News reported. The application deadline was Sept. 3. The review was later expanded after trustees raised concerns about the administration’s accounting for bond funds. Findings are to go to the board through its audit committee.
Voters approved the $1.3 billion bond in 2020 by a 2-1 margin; about $420 million remains unspent. The Express-News reported that rising construction and labor costs have coincided with delays to some planned campus work, including projects at Davis Middle School and Martin Luther King Academy.
What Oversight and Audits Cover
The Texas Education Agency says school districts must submit annual financial and compliance reports audited by an independent auditor. That recurring requirement is distinct from SAISD’s targeted forensic examination of its 2020 bond program.
SAISD’s bond-information page says the Board of Trustees has final approval over bond-program schematic designs, bids, contracts and expenditures. The page also describes the Citizens Advisory Committee for the separate 2016 bond program as advisory, without decision-making, policy-setting or management authority; neither description establishes the status or findings of the 2020 bond review.
Who Are Salzmann and Thompson
Salzmann joined SAISD in 2018 and became chief academic officer in 2019 before rising to deputy superintendent, a post she has held for six years. She has overseen day-to-day district operations for the last two years and led SAISD’s response to declining enrollment, an effort that resulted in the closure of 15 schools before the 2024-25 school year. Before SAISD, she spent nearly 17 years overseeing curriculum at North East ISD, part of 31 years in public education overall…