Public Radio for Northeast Texas

Education Report: State to investigate San Antonio school district for possible voter coercion

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Camile Phillips

A Northside ISD school principal sent an email to staff saying they were expected to vote a bond on May 7 ballots.

Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Education Agency to investigate whether or not Northside ISD directed staff to vote for the district’s latest bond.

TPR’s Camille Phillips reports.

Governor Abbott announced the investigation in a tweet after a school choice advocate posted screenshots of an email he said came from a Northside principal. The email said all employees were expected to vote for the bond.

In a statement, Northside ISD officials confirmed a principal had directed staff to vote for the bond, but that the message was quote “never intended to be coercive.”

The district said the superintendent encourages employees to participate in elections, but does not stipulate how staff should vote. They said the message was a miscommunication that was quote “immediately addressed.”

A TEA spokesperson confirmed the agency is investigating.

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