San Antonio Independent School District announced the hiring of a new superintendent amid low student enrollment rates and the possibility of a state takeover due to multiple academically failing schools.
Adrian Bustillos will replace current superintendent Jaime Aquino, who has been with the district since 2022.
Before being hired as superintendent, Bustillos worked for Aldine ISD as a chief transformational officer and oversaw the “innovative school models and the district’s school choice program.”
Board member Alicia Sebastian said in an announcement that Bustillos was selected because of his “ability to lead transformational change and deliver innovative educational opportunities in districts similar to ours.”
According to local reports, San Antonio ISD is currently experiencing significant budget cuts due to a large budget deficit, enrollment decline, and infrastructure issues. The district also has a high number of academically failing campuses.
Citing the large budget deficit and infrastructure issues, the board is considering calling for a bond election and a voter-approval tax rate election in November.
San Antonio ISD serves about 42,000 students across 80 campuses.
In 2025 the district received a “C” accountability rating on the Texas Academic Performance Report.
According to STAAR test results, less than 50 percent of students in grades 3-8 are meeting or mastering grade level reading standards.
The STAAR tests also revealed that less than 40 percent of students are meeting or mastering grade level expectations for mathematics in grades 3, 6, 7, and 8.
Aquino previously received a total annual salary of $362,493 while serving as superintendent.
According to the San Antonio Report, the vote confirming Bustillos was split due allegations that he was “implicated in a cheating scandal” in 2017 while serving as an assistant principal at El Paso ISD. The state found that the district was “artificially boosting test scores,” with reports that Bustillos gave credit to students without them understanding the content.
As part of the case, his educator certificate was suspended for one year.
Trustees who voted against hiring Bustillos cited the cheating scandal and his lack of experience leading a school district, specifically his lack of a state-required superintendent certification.
Bustillos will start as superintendent at the start of the new school year in August.
