San Antonio District Placed Administrators on Paid Leave
Two senior officials were sidelined on September 4 as the school district began a forensic review of its 2020 bond.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Administration
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The San Antonio Independent School District placed Deputy Superintendent Patti Salzmann and Chief of Staff Toni Thompson on paid administrative leave starting September 4, 2026. This decision coincides with a forensic review of the district's 2020 bond program.
Why it matters
The district initiated the probe due to concerns regarding spending and accounting practices within the $1.3 billion bond program. Trustees have also paused spending on projects at Davis Middle School and Martin Luther King Academy as the investigation proceeds.
The 2020 bond program totaled $1.3 billion, with approximately $420 million remaining unspent. The district is also preparing for a general election on November 3, 2026, which features a proposed $600 million bond measure.
The players
Patti Salzmann
She serves as the Deputy Superintendent for the San Antonio Independent School District.
Toni Thompson
She serves as the Chief of Staff and has a 46-year tenure at the district.
San Antonio Independent School District
This public school system serves students in San Antonio and is currently overseeing a bond audit.
The details
The board of trustees plans to receive the findings of the forensic review through the Audit Committee. Administration officials had previously questioned the necessity of hiring an outside contractor to investigate the bond program concerns.
Timeline
Voters approved the $1.3 billion bond program in 2020.
The district requested forensic review proposals on August 19, 2026.
The application deadline for forensic firms was September 3, 2026.
Administrators were placed on paid leave on September 4, 2026.
A general election for a $600 million bond is set for November 3, 2026.
Culture Shift
This probe follows the Texas Education Code requirements for school district bond transparency, which sets the regulatory expectations for handling voter-approved funds. The district’s review follows a pattern set by increasing state and local oversight of public infrastructure spending.
Residents may see delays in local infrastructure improvements, such as the paused renovations at Davis Middle School and Martin Luther King Academy. Voters will also need to consider the status of the ongoing investigation when deciding on the $600 million bond measure this November.
The takeaway
Taxpayers should monitor the Audit Committee updates to understand how their capital improvement funds are managed. Clear communication from the board remains essential as the district balances current forensic probes with upcoming bond election requests.
What happens next
The district will hold a general election on November 3, 2026, where voters will decide on a new $600 million bond proposal.
Further reading
For more background on how local districts manage public funds, visit the Administration section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Dallas Morning News.
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