SAN ANTONIO – After just over a week on the job, South San Antonio Independent School District’s new superintendent discussed future plans with KSAT.
Dr. Saul Hinojosa said those plans include adding new school buses, painting school buildings and securing sign-on bonuses for district teachers.
Hinojosa, along with seven board members, was appointed by the Texas Education Agency to lead the district in February 2025. This followed what the TEA called “nearly two decades of elected trustee and administrative dysfunction resulting in diminished student outcomes, poor financial controls, public distrust and multiple TEA investigations.”
The TEA appointed Hinojosa to the new job on Feb. 19.
On Feb. 26, the superintendent and new board members held their first meeting.
“We’re putting money back into our schools,” Hinojosa said while expressing gratitude for his new position. ”We’ve created — or found, $3 million, that we’re giving back to our campuses, where our best-performing teachers will be the best-paid teachers in Bexar County.”
On Thursday, the superintendent told KSAT that the $3 million became available following cuts to the district’s central office.
Hinojosa also said he wants half of that money to go towards teachers, specifically high-achieving ones.
His goal, he said, is to make high-performing teachers at South San ISD “the highest paid in Bexar County.”
According to the district’s website, teachers currently have a yearly starting salary of $59,350.
Teachers with 26 or more years of experience can bring in upwards of $69,000 annually.
As for the remaining $1.5 million, Hinojosa said he wants to fund instructional coaches and special education programs, paint school buildings, and add school buses.
However, the plan isn’t a done deal. The district’s new board has to approve the superintendent’s $3 million plan before it’s implemented.
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