R.I.P. Wilmer-Hutchins I.S.D. (1927-2006)

[TexasStooge]

So much for the school renovations.

Voters reject bond for W-H school improvements

By BILL LODGE and HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

Voters in the Wilmer-Hutchins district overwhelmingly rejected $68 million in school improvements Saturday.

In complete but unofficial returns, opponents of the bond proposal more than doubled its supporters.

“The voters may not trust this leadership,” school board member Joan Bonner said at district headquarters, adding that she understands how they feel.

“I want new leadership,” Ms. Bonner said. “I want the superintendent [Charles Matthews] changed. I want the board changed.”

District resident Faye Gafford said the current administration should not be trusted with additional money.

“Why would we give this administration $68 million when they can’t handle $20 million in their operating budget?” she asked.

Calls to Mr. Matthews’ residence were not returned.

The bond proposal earmarked $22.2 million for new schools, $39.4 million for renovations and expansions, $3.4 million for demolition and $3 million for a contingency fund.

In the month prior to Saturday’s election, classes were delayed because of a leaky roof. Some teachers and other employees received paychecks two weeks late. Two residents filed suit in an effort to have school board members removed for alleged incompetence.

The Texas Education Agency began a financial investigation of the district. And FBI agents and Texas Rangers seized district documents as a federal grand jury began an investigation.

Preceding that list of problems was TEA’s ranking of the state’s 1,039 districts by financial integrity. Wilmer-Hutchins and 20 other districts found themselves branded with the worst ranking - “substandard.”

“There’s no trust left,” Ms. Bonner said. “We’ve lost our trust.”

Ms. Bonner said the election defeat would not sink the school district. “On Monday, we will still be the Wilmer-Hutchins school district. We can survive this.”

[TexasStooge]

W-H voters pray for changes at top

After turning down bond plan, they turn to faith for guidance

By JENNIFER AREND / The Dallas Morning News

Highland Hills United Methodist Church rocked with songs of inspiration Sunday, the choir's verses of "I'll Make It" and "Hold On" punctuating the pastor's message that even in the midst of chaos, God has a plan.

For Hester Smith, the Rev. Ronald Henderson's sermon evoked the troubles that have plagued the Wilmer-Hutchins school district.

"God has a plan," Ms. Smith said. A day after using their votes to express their dissatisfaction with the district's leadership, she and others turned to prayer. "If we do our part, he'll do his."

Ms. Smith was among the majority of voters Saturday who rejected a $68 million bond proposal that would have provided $22.2 million for new schools, $39.4 million for renovations and expansions, $3.4 million for demolition and $3 million for a contingency fund.

She and other bond opponents said Sunday that they want their votes to send a clear message.

"We can't trust those people," Ms. Smith said, referring to district officials.

Ella Hill said she hopes the overwhelming defeat will help spur quick changes in the school district, which is under investigation by the FBI, the Texas Rangers, the Texas Education Agency, and state and federal grand juries.

"It's a new day out here," she said after a morning service at Mount Tabor Baptist Church in southeast Dallas.

Lee English said he couldn't support the bond proposal after watching the district's problems for years.

"I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired," Mr. English said. "We've given them plenty of chances."

Ms. Smith, Ms. Hill and Mr. English said their decisions weren't without regret.

"I hate it. It was all for the children," she said. But she added that she hopes defeating the bond proposal will ultimately help the district and its students.

"I hope this is a wake-up call," Ms. Hill said, adding that school district trustees should resign.

Mr. English said the district should be taken over by the state soon – or dissolved and merged with Dallas or Lancaster ISD.

Ladell Getum said he voted for the bond proposal despite his misgivings.

"I can't say I have faith in the district," he said. "But those schools are falling down. Everybody out here is concerned about the children. They need education, and the system is not doing it."

Mr. Getum said he isn't convinced that having the state step in will solve anything.

"They did that before, and it didn't work," he said.

Wilmer-Hutchins trustee Dortha Thomas said she, too, has been praying about the district's troubles. She said she knows that to some degree, the defeat at the polls reflected hostile feelings toward the school board.

"People were hollering, 'We're for the children,' and then they killed it," Ms. Thomas said. "But I feel very jubilant. This is one battle lost. We'll bounce back."

She said she doesn't know what's next for the troubled district.

"I don't see the state coming in because we lost the bond election," Ms. Thomas said.

She said one thing is for sure: School will go on as usual today.

"We still have to think about educating children," Ms. Thomas said. "The buses will roll in the morning, and that's the important thing."

[TexasStooge]

Trustee: W-H superintendent should resign

In wake of bond issue's failure, district scrambles to finish repairs

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV

A Wilmer-Hutchins ISD trustee is calling for Superintendent Charles Matthews to resign.

The call comes in the wake of Saturday's defeat of a $68 million bond package to repair and replace crumbling schools.

Maintenance workers spent Monday scrambling to make classrooms ready for the scheduled return of students to the Wilmer-Hutchins High School campus.

Students were transferred out so repairs could be made to rid the school of mildew, rot and general disrepair. Now, the school has been declared ready despite the fact that carpet has not been replaced, clutter still fills the halls, graffiti is everywhere and plumbing fixtures don't work.

Additionally, library books are left in unorganized stacks and the assembly and fine arts building is in roughly the same condition it was five weeks ago. To make matters worse, officials with Dallas County Health and Human Services would not pass the high school's kitchen due to problems with inadequate refrigeration and unsanitary conditions.

School officials said they still planned to open the high school as scheduled on Tuesday, adding that meals would be prepared elsewhere if necessary until repairs can be made to cafeteria equipment.

The situation was made worse when voters rejected a $68 million bond issue over the weekend that would pay for repairs and new construction that most say should have been done years ago.

School board member Joan Bonner said voters no longer trust Matthews to manage the district, and that the mandate is clear: it's time for him to go.

"I think I've let it be known that I'm hoping he will resign," Bonner said. "If not, I will have no problem putting it on the agenda requesting his resignation."

Matthews has limited his comments on any topic since county, state and federal investigators started looking closely at the district's finances. On Monday, he continued that pattern by refusing to discuss the results of the bond election with News 8.

The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

W-H ignored roofing consultant's offer of free help

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV

A roofing consultant who has offered his services to Wilmer-Hutchins schools for free said the district has ignored him.

Now, consultant Phil Mayfield said it may have been for the best, based on the way the district appears to be conducting its business.

Mayfield has worked for the Dallas and Fort Worth school districts. He said when he saw the video of the roof at Wilmer-Hutchins High School, he responded by offering his services for free.

"I thought, well, let me let them know as quick as I can immediately that there is help out there if they want it," Mayfield said, adding that he never heard back from them.

Mayfield even sent a follow-up email hoping to catch someone's attention. It's been a month, and still no response. He said he's not surprised, since less than two weeks before a $68 million bond election, the district still has no details on how roof repairs will be addressed.

"How else do you know how much to put into the bond issue if you haven't done an analysis of what your options are? Well, it's hard, if not impossible."

At a board meeting Tuesday night, trustees voted to hire a construction manager whom they had never seen nor met before.

"Manage it from inception to finish."

Superintendent Charles Matthews told News 8 he knew nothing about the firm he selected. He said the district's bond finance company, First Southwest Finance, hired Gallagher as a professional service contractor without taking bids.

A recent Texas attorney general opinion stated, "a school district may not, under the Professional Services Procurement Act, contract for 'guaranteed program services' ... to be rendered by a single 'program manager.'"

Matthews declined an on-camera interview, but said the district does not have to put out for bids when seeking a construction manager. When asked if he wanted to read the attorney general's opinion on the issue, Matthews said no.

Late Wednesday afternoon, after News 8 started asking questions, Wilmer-Hutchins officials made contact with Mayfield and accepted the offer of his services.

A Gallagher Construction representative said the firm is a construction management agent, and not subject to the bid process.

[TexasStooge]

Sex assault alleged at W-H elementary school

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV

Police arrested a substitute teacher in Wilmer-Hutchins Wednesday night after allegations surfaced that he molested a student.

Hutchins police said a four-year-old female student at A.L. Mourney Elementary was allegedly sexually assaulted while at school Tuesday.

The incident was reported to police after school, and police arrested Lenell McGraw late Wednesday. McGraw, whose age was not available, was in custody at Lew Sterrett Justice Center early Thursday morning.

The district already faces scrutiny over budget issues and the poor condition of its buildings. In addition to the abuse allegation, News 8 has learned that the same school, A.L. Mourney, is out of compliance with at least some fire safety codes. The school's principal, who splits time between two schools, declined to discuss those deficiencies.

The fire marshal told News 8 those issues at the school are being worked out.

[TexasStooge]

Time Running Out: And so are excuses for Wilmer-Hutchins

The Dallas Morning News

How many strikes do the grown-ups running the Wilmer-Hutchins school district get?

How many kids have to be robbed of an adequate education before the state steps in and says, "No more!"

Last week, after the school district's bungling invited public scrutiny for the umpteenth time, board president Luther Edwards had the gall to blame the parents. (His actual words were: "Kids are a product of their environment. When you fall behind early, you can't ever catch up.")

Know this: Wilmer-Hutchins students do fine in the beginning. In the third grade, the earliest to participate on the statewide Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test, the district's students score above the state average. By the time the district gets through with them in high school, they consistently score about 20 points below the state average.

Lesson: The district ruins students.

So what should happen?

First, the board should voluntarily submit to state supervision, as the state comptroller's office suggested after a review in 2002. "The district should request a master from the commissioner of education to ... refocus the entire direction of the district on the implementation of law to the ultimate goal of improved student education," the report said.

Failing that, the Texas Education Agency should impose a management team as it did from 1996 to 1998. If the district's inability to maintain its high school in usable condition isn't sufficient evidence of mismanagement, the agency can rely on a district official's testimony Monday in court. His admission: The district, which gets more state and federal aid per pupil than any other in the area, is broke.

Beyond that, the Education Agency should seriously consider using its power to annex academically substandard districts to their neighbors – in this case the Lancaster, Dallas or Ferris school districts. In such cases, the annexed district gets extra state money to help ease the transition.

A district must be rated academically unacceptable for two years to become subject to annexation. In the past, the standards were so lax that Wilmer-Hutchins managed to get an "acceptable" rating. The 2004 ratings, based on a more rigorous standard, are due next month.

By any meaningful standard, the Wilmer-Hutchins district is not acceptable. If the state ratings reflect that truth, perhaps students and parents will be one step closer to the end of a protracted nightmare.

[TexasStooge]

Fire officials: W-H high school shouldn't have re-opened

Workers now trying to fix broken alarm system

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV

Dallas fire officials said Tuesday that students returning to classes at Wilmer-Hutchins High School should not have been allowed inside.

Those students nearly had to be evacuated after officials discovered the school's alarm system was not up to code.

Wilmer-Hutchins ISD maintenance crews scrambled late Tuesday to repair the broken system, which fire officials told them to repair five weeks ago.

Students were allowed to return to the school after weeks of repairs, but fire officials said they never gave administrators clearance.

"Everything is not up to code, everything's not properly done," said Dallas Fire-Rescue Lt. Joel Lavender. "It's not safe to our standards."

Broken fire codes are not what returning students noticed, however. They were more concerned with the lack of air conditioning, along with no hot food in the cafeteria - which was red-tagged by the health department.

"Everywhere we went it was hot and I complained and fussed," said junior Ashley Anderson. "Then we had cold cuts for lunch today ... I was like, 'oh no.'"

In what has almost become a daily ritual for reporters, attempts to get answers from Superintendent Charles Matthews were unsuccessful.

"No comments at this time," Matthews repeated as he walked briskly into the administration building.

While Matthews may be able to dodge questions, his critics said he can no longer dodge responsibility.

"Again, I will have to hold the superintendent responsible for any problems we are having today," school board member Joan Bonner said. "I'm sure it was his decision to put our children back in the building today."

Several parents told News 8 they are disgusted with the climate at their children's school, and they blame both the superintendent and the board.

"They don't think about the children," said parent Miriam Ramirez. "They think about their own pocket, you know."

School officials said they will have the fire alarm system repaired in time for school Wednesday.

As for the air conditioning and cafeteria concerns, students will, as always, do their best to overcome it.

[TexasStooge]

Lingering problems plague W-H school's alarm system, cafeteria

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV

For the second day in a row, Dallas county and city officials declared Wilmer-Hutchins High School a health and safety risk to students.

And for the second day in a row, students went to school anyway.

At one point, the southeast Dallas campus looked like the staging area for a disaster drill. Coming and going throughout the day were health department officials, paramedics and fire inspectors, who for the second day checked out a faulty alarm system which may have gotten worse.

"What could happen is there could be an actual fire in the air duct system that's gonna run throughout the building, potentially posing a very bad situation," Dallas Fire-Rescue Capt. Jesse Garcia said.

At the same time, health department officials inspected the school cafeteria which, for the second day, they declared unsanitary.

"We are not going to hold anything back," said Zach Thompson of the Dallas County Health Department. "The cafeteria needs to be cleaned."

In the middle of the inspection, another health official noticed another violation: food stored on the floor of a delivery truck.

News crews videotaping violations apparently made principal Nate Carman uncomfortable. Wilmer-Hutchins superintendent Charles Matthews said the media should start focusing on the positive.

"Sure, we are going to have a few problems, but the primary and the paramount thing is that all of our kids are in school, and that's great," Matthews said.

With that, Matthews announced the arrival of private paramedics. None of the paramedics News 8 talked to seemed clear about what they were supposed to be doing, and why their boss had sent them.

"We are here just mainly for the kids, to help support the kids and make sure that they get what they need to have for here, for our school," Matthews said.

Regardless of their mission, their presence was appreciated and seemed to signal a reversal of fortune - at least to Matthews.

"I feel good about it," he said.

[TexasStooge]

W-H cafeteria fails another inspection

By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8

Another inspection brought yet another failing grade Monday for the Wilmer-Hutchins High School cafeteria.

The cafeteria has been shut down for health reasons since the campus opened this year. Students had hoped the newly re-opened school would begin serving hot lunches this week, but Dallas County health inspectors who came back for another time said the kitchen still isn't up to par.

Health authorities said they'll wait for Wilmer-Hutchins High to clean up its act, and its kitchen. They expect to get a call to come out and reinspect, perhaps by Wednesday.

Cooking has been banned at Wilmer-Hutchins since the first day of school after authorities cited unsanitary conditions in the kitchen. Inspectors said 7 of 11 violations have yet to be corrected, including cleaning dirty stoves and food preparation surfaces, repairing a broken dishwasher and getting rid of a bug problem.

"There are some major issues out here," said the health department's Zach Thompson. "There are some issues that need to be corrected, and some of these issues date back to the end of last semester."

Health authorities said sanitation conditions have improved, but not enough to prepare and serve hot meals at the high school. According to the TEA, about half of the high school students qualify for the hot meals program.

Thompson was critical of lax cafeteria maintenance. "I have to put it frankly: On the last day of school, before you shut the door, everything should have been cleaned," he said. "That's just the bottom line."

Thompson said leftovers don't tend to endure through the summer months—especially when the refrigeration is powered off. "Based on the smell, we could determine that their food had been left in there."

"We're disappointed that we're not able to prepare the hot food," said principal Nate Carman. "But again, we're just going to continue to drive the food over as we have been doing, and continue to work with the health department so we can continue their inspection."

Carman said until the school receives a passing grade, healthy - but cold - lunches will continue to be trucked in daily.

County officials will now wait for the school district request the next inspection after shortcomings are addressed, perhaps later this week.

Wilmer-Hutchins High School opened in September after weeks of last-minute repairs. Students were forced to start the semester at other schools.

Last week, Dallas Fire-Rescue inspectors found that required alarm systems in the building were still not working.

Dallas Web staff writer Walt Zwirko contributed to this report.

[GalvestonDuck]

So, I hear they're getting a hot meal today -- NOT prepared in the cafeteria?

Mark Davis is talking about it on WBAP.

[TexasStooge]

So, I hear they're getting a hot meal today -- NOT prepared in the cafeteria?

Mark Davis is talking about it on WBAP.

Hot meals for W-H students? Finally some good news!

May not be in the cafeteria, but I think they needed to get away from that filthy facility, don't ya think?

[GalvestonDuck]

Sounds like it!

[TexasStooge]

Well, haven't heard anymore stories about Wilmer-Hutchins Schools. Guess they're finally getting to work on the rennovations.

[TexasStooge]

Not Measuring Up: A Deeper look at Wilmer-Hutchins ISD

By any measure: the Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District is among the worst-performing Texas School districts, and on many accounts, it's dead last! The Dallas Morning News examined the school district's record on academics, teacher qualifications and financial stability. Here's what they found:

Wilmer-Hutchins ISD

TAKS Scores:

The News reviewed 2003 results on the Texas Assessment of Knowlege & Skills (TAKS) for all 488 school districts that serve grades K-12 and have 1,000 or more students. The Districts were ranked, by percentage of students who passed the test from first to last (488th).

Here's how Wilmer-Hutchins fared:

3rd Grade:
Reading: 284th | Math: 170th | All tests: 248th. (87.5 passed all tests)

4th Grade:
Reading: 262nd | Math: 51st | Writing: 95th | All tests: 137th (82.8% passed)

5th Grade:
Reading: 337th | Math: 421st | Science: 225th | All tests: 348th (58.4% passed)

6th Grade:
Reading: 488th | Math: 488th | All tests: 488th (27.3% passed)

7th Grade:
Reading: 486th | Math: 486th | Writing: 487th | All tests: 488th (26.9% passed)

8th Grade:
Reading: 483rd | Math: 472nd | Social Studies: 488th | All tests: 474th (43.9% passed)

9th Grade:
Reading: 486th | Math: 484th | All tests: 485th (27.7% passed)

OK, here's where it gets ugly:

10th Grade:
English Language Arts (ELA): 487th | Math: 487th | Science: 488th | Social Studies: 484th | All tests: 488th (5.5% passed)

11th Grade:
ELA: 488th | Math: 487th | Science: 486th | Social Studies: 488th | All tests: 488th (5.7% passed)

-----------------------------------------------------

I'll be back with Part 2 of the results.

[TexasStooge]

Here's part 2 of the results:
--------------------------------------
Peer Districts:

The Dallas Morning News compares Wilmer-Hutchins with the 5 Texas school districts that were most similar. The peer districts like Wilmer-Hutchins have between 2,000 to 5,000 students; more than 80% of the students are not white; and 60-70% of their students qualify for free & redeuced-price lunch.

Here are the other peer districts:

* Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD
* Kingsville ISD
* Everman ISD (Not too far from Wilmer-Hutchins)
* Hereford ISD
* Fort Stockton ISD

Other Measures among Peer Districts:
------------------------------------------------------------
Advanced Courses:
The percentage of high school students who took at least one advanced course in 2001-02:

Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 16.9%
Fort Stockton: 13.1%
Hereford: 12.4%
Everman: 10.5%
Kingsville: 8.2%
Wilmer-Hutchins: 2.0% (486th out of 488 districts)
Statewide 19.4%

Advanced Placement:
The percentage of high school juniors and seniors who took at least one Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test in 2002:

Kingsville: 10.4%
Everman: 7.6%
Hereford: 7.4%
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 5.7%
Fort Stockton: 0.4%
Wilmer-Hutchins: 0.0%
Statewide 15%

Attendance:
The districtwide attendance rate in 2001-02:

Everman: 96.2%
Hereford: 96.1%
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 95.2%
Fort Stockton: 95.1%
Kingsville: 94.2%
Wilmer-Hutchins: 93.6% (484th out of 488 districts)
Statewide 95.6%

SAT participation:
Percentage of students in the Class of ’02 who took the SAT:

Everman: 60.0%
Kingsville: 49.5%
Wilmer-Hutchins: 41.1% (445th out of 481 districts)
Hereford: 37.5%
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 37.1%
Fort Stockton: 31.9%
Statewide 61.9%

SAT scores:
Average scores for the Class of ’02:

Hereford: 1101
Kingsville: 960
Fort Stockton: 946
Everman: 892
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 813
Wilmer-Hutchins: 782 (462nd out of 465 districts)
Statewide average 986

SAT high-achievers:
Percentage of SAT takers who scored above 1100 in the Class of ’02:

Hereford: 21.5%
Fort Stockton: 15.9%
Kingsville: 14.5%
Everman: 6.1%
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 1.6%
Wilmer-Hutchins: 0%
Statewide average 26.6%

Teacher experience:
Teachers in Wilmer-Hutchins are three times more likely to be rookies than the state average. The percentage of teachers in 2002-03 who had no prior teaching experience in peer districts:

Kingsville: 0.3%
Hereford: 4.6%
Fort Stockton: 5.6%
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 7.6%
Everman: 12.1%
Wilmer-Hutchins: 23.6%
Statewide average: 7.8%

Teacher turnover rates:
Wilmer-Hutchins teachers are almost twice as likely as the state average to leave the district each year. Annual turnover rates for teachers in 2002-03:

Kingsville: 9.2%
Hereford: 12.3%
Fort Stockton: 15.4%
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 18.2%
Everman: 21.1%
Wilmer-Hutchins: 29.2%
Statewide average: 15.6%

Emergency permit teachers:
A Wilmer-Hutchins teacher is roughly 10 times more likely than teachers in other Texas districts to be working on an “emergency permit” that allows an uncertified teacher to work without meeting normal requirements. The number of emergency permits per 100 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2002-03:

Hereford: 0.0 per 100
Fort Stockton: 1.1 per 100
Kingsville: 1.9 per 100
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 3.5 per 100
Everman: 4.5 per 100
Wilmer-Hutchins: 26.4 per 100
Statewide: 2.6 per 100

Financial stability:
Wilmer-Hutchins is one of 21 Texas districts (out of 1,039) to be rated
“substandard” in the state’s 2002-03 Financial Integrity Ratings, released
last week. How its peer districts fared:

Everman, Fort Stockton, Hereford, Kingsville, and Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: Superior
Wilmer-Hutchins: Substandard

Negative balance:
Wilmer-Hutchins is one of 12 Texasdistricts with a negative unreserved
fund balance in the 2002-03 school year. In its peer districts:

Everman: $8,107,175
Hereford: $7,042,958
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: $6,958,923
Fort Stockton: $4,180,045
Kingsville: $3,456,434
Wilmer-Hutchins: — $328,344

Spending in classroom:
Wilmer-Hutchins spends 50.9 percent of its operating budget on classroom
instruction. The state average is 59.9 percent. The Texas Education Agency cited the district last week for not spending enough on instruction. How much peer districts spent on instruction in 2002-03:

Everman: 60.9%
Kingsville: 57.1%
Hereford: 56.3%
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah: 54.2%
Fort Stockton: 53.3%
Wilmer-Hutchins: 50.9%
Statewide average: 59.9%

SOURCE: Texas Education Agency

For complete results, Click here.

Good thing I stayed in Irving ISD throughout my schooling years.

[TexasStooge]

Finally, some good news for a change:

As I heard last night on the news, the 12th graders from Wilmer-Hutchins High School will be getting free caps and gowns. They'll also receive special discounts on Senior rings.

[TexasStooge]

Wilmer-Hutchins ISD to lay off 20% of staff

Process will start next week; 30 teachers could be lost in district

By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

Nearly 20 percent of Wilmer-Hutchins employees will have to be laid off in the coming months, many of them as soon as next week, school district officials said. That total could include more than 30 teachers.

"You'll have to choose between several unpleasant alternatives," James Damm, a financial consultant, told the school board Monday night. "They're not going to be easy decisions."

The district's financial consultants say the school district could run out of money again by March if swift measures aren't taken. The school board voted 7-0 Monday night to declare a financial emergency, which sets the layoff process in motion.

Meanwhile, a preliminary audit of the district's finances by the Texas Education Agency says Wilmer-Hutchins broke state law by taking out an illegal $500,000 loan this spring.

According to Mr. Damm, the district currently has 406 employees, 206 of them teachers. He said he recommended at least two – possibly three – separate layoffs.

"I don't think you can reduce enough of your budget this year" alone, he said. "That would be draconian. This will be unpopular enough."

The first layoff will begin next week, after the school board meets to decide who will be let go. The second will occur after the school year ends. That summer layoff will involve eliminating 25 positions, some of which could be shed through attrition, Mr. Damm said.

He said it had not been determined how many people will have to be laid off next week. But Mr. Damm said "it could be twice that number," or 50 positions.

Mr. Damm said the total number of jobs lost could be reduced if administrators or other high-paid employees are laid off. If lower-paid workers are the primary targets, it will take more jobs lost to make up the amount Wilmer-Hutchins needs to cut. Mr. Damm put that amount at "several million dollars."

"It didn't happen overnight," Mr. Damm said about the district's problems. "The district's resources have been overtaxed and overspent."

In addition, Mr. Damm said that the district, "in future years," should adjust to a lower overall staffing level – about 10 students per staff member and about 17 students per teacher.

Further cuts

At current enrollment levels, that would mean further cuts of an additional 47 positions. In total, the district's workforce would be 30 percent smaller than it is today.

Even with all these cuts, the consultants said, the district would still have to seek a new loan, backed by tax revenues, in order to pay back a $3.8 million loan due in March. He said the district should seek a loan that would be paid back over five to eight years.

Mr. Damm said that by his analysis, the district has too many employees. That same pattern occurred in Superintendent Charles Matthews' previous school district, Karnack ISD. Karnack's enrollment dropped steadily after Dr. Matthews' arrival there in 1998, but the district did not cut spending accordingly.

As a result, Karnack's spending per pupil increased from $6,245 to $8,052. That plunged the district from a healthy fund balance to a serious deficit.

Dr. Matthews did not comment on the layoff recommendations during Monday's meeting.

But by at least one measure, Wilmer-Hutchins' staffing levels are not particularly unusual. According to data from the 2002-03 school year – the last for which statewide information is available – Wilmer-Hutchins' staffing levels were only slightly above average for a school district its size.

That year, Wilmer-Hutchins had 6.8 students per employee. The state average for districts its size was 6.9 students per employee. The gap was similar for student-teacher ratio: 13.9 students per teacher in Wilmer-Hutchins, 14.3 statewide.

Possible answers for where the money went could come in the multiple criminal investigations under way in the district. Two grand juries, the Texas Rangers, the FBI and others are investigating allegations of criminal wrongdoing, including misappropriation of funds.

In August, the district ran out of money and couldn't pay all of its teachers. A fund balance of $1.6 million disappeared in the span of three months, and it has not yet been explained where the money went.

Trimming costs

Meanwhile, the district is trying a number of other ways to trim back on cost, including turning off the lights inside the district's soda machines. The district was only paying invoices once they are 45 days old because it can't afford to pay new ones.

Luther Edwards, the board's president, said he wanted to make sure the layoffs were done according to the letter of the law. "Every time we do a reduction in force, people want to sue," he said, referring to layoffs the district had to make in the mid-1990s, the last time Wilmer-Hutchins was in dire financial straits.

Information about the allegedly illegal $500,000 loan was included in the TEA's preliminary financial audit, which was given to board members Monday. The loan was allegedly illegal because it was paid back with money from the district's bond fund. The district did not have enough regular tax revenue to pay it back.

The audit report says Wilmer-Hutchins had to pay $20,000 in issuance costs to a Utah bank in order to obtain the loan. "The fees paid for this loan raise questions about the district's efforts to obtain competitive notes," the report states.

The report also says that some district employees received raises this year – despite a district policy banning raises. That ban was put in place as part of a cost-reduction plan mandated by TEA after Wilmer-Hutchins overspent its annual budget by $1.9 million in 2001-02.

[TexasStooge]

Finally some good news...for Elementary schools there anyway.

High praise at W-H

Despite ongoing turmoil, elementary gets exemplary rating

By JOSHUA BENTON and HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

In the swirl of bad news that has surrounded Wilmer-Hutchins schools the last few months, the new state ratings provided a welcome bit of optimism.

One of the district's elementary schools, Alta Mesa Elementary, had test scores high enough to be exemplary, the state's highest rating. Two others, Wilmer and C.S. Winn elementaries, earned recognized status.

"You'll find that there's a lot of teaching and learning transpiring in our district," said Superintendent Charles Matthews. "It's time for you all to say Wilmer-Hutchins is one of the best districts around."

But the district's middle school and high school continued to produce some of the lowest academic performances in the state. Both avoided the state's lowest rating, "academically unacceptable," because of new rules that excuse low scores at some schools.

Wilmer-Hutchins has been in turmoil since the announcement in early August that the high school was in such poor condition that it could not open for classes. It finally opened a month later.

But in the meantime, criminal investigations were launched into the district's finances and allegations of corruption. Among the agencies investigating Wilmer-Hutchins: the FBI, the Texas Rangers, the Dallas County district attorney, the U.S. attorney's office.

Two grand juries are hearing evidence. A team of Texas Education Agency auditors is poring over the district's finances. And at one point in August, the district ran out of money and couldn't pay its teachers.

Against that backdrop, the solid performance of the district's elementary schools was welcome.

"We start out with the belief that every student make measurable academic growth," said Jata McCollister, Alta Mesa's principal. She said the school uses teacher training, field trips and community support to achieve success.

Dr. Matthews said the elementary schools have been successful because of a strong commitment to early childhood education, begun when he was previously superintendent in 1986.

"You know, probably in the next couple of years, the nation will be focused on Wilmer-Hutchins on how to teach students – especially minority children," he said.

Results were not so strong with older children. Wilmer-Hutchins High and Kennedy-Curry Middle had TAKS passing rates low enough to be rated unacceptable. Only 102 of the state's 7,813 schools earned that tag.

But both were bumped up to "acceptable" status because of new rules introduced this year. The high school was deemed acceptable because its math scores, while still among the state's lowest, were substantially better than last year's. The middle school was granted a special exception that allows some low scores to be excused.

In addition to Alta Mesa, Wilmer and C.S. Winn, two other elementary schools were given high ratings, but not through any doing of their own. Neither A.L. Morney nor Bishop Heights Elementary teaches any students old enough to take the TAKS test – both stop at first grade.

But for ratings purposes, they are each paired with other Wilmer-Hutchins schools. So Bishop Heights was automatically assigned Alta Mesa's exemplary rating, and Morney shared C.S. Winn's recognized status.

Alta Mesa has been lauded for high test scores before. After years of middling performance, Alta Mesa's passing rate began to rise in the mid-1990s. The school's rating jumped from acceptable to recognized in 1996 and stayed there through 1998.

But a Texas Education Agency inquiry in 1999 found evidence of widespread cheating between 1996 and 1998. The agency found "abnormally high" numbers of erasures on test forms – incorrect answers being erased and replaced by correct ones before tests were sent away for grading.

TEA sent monitors to Alta Mesa in 1999 to monitor the administration of the TAAS test. With state officials watching, only 50 percent of Alta Mesa's students passed all sections of the TAAS. The year before, without monitors, 83 percent had passed.

But the district's internal investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing. Alta Mesa has been rated acceptable every year since until this year's exemplary rating.

Alta Mesa's scores increased substantially in the transition from TAAS to TAKS – a time when most schools saw movement in the opposite direction.

In 2002, the last year of TAAS, 3,837 elementary schools took the TAAS test. Alta Mesa's passing rate was only the 3,075th highest in the state.

This year, only 12.1 percent of elementary schools scored highly enough to be exemplary, as Alta Mesa was. The school's passing rates in reading, math and writing were all 98 percent – better than many wealthy suburban schools.

Ms. McCollister said Alta Mesa's results were solid. "There was no cheating," she said.

Instead, she credited strong support from parents and the hard work of teachers.

"We're not talking about something that happened overnight. You have to nurture and build that kind of community rapport and student success."

TEA spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman said the agency has received no reports of cheating and does not investigate testing until it receives a formal letter of complaint.

[TexasStooge]

The stories so far (as reported by WFAA-ABC 8):

10/12: W-H to lay off 20% of staff

09/27: Cash-strapped district gets some relief

09/22: Lingering problems plague W-H school's alarm system, cafeteria

09/21: No hot lunch at Wilmer-Hutchins High

09/08: Wilmer-Hutchins accused of shredding files

09/08: District seeks image repair

09/03: W-H police chief advised to end inquiry

08/31: State getting ready to run W-H schools

08/30: Red ink not new to W-H chief

08/26: Payroll not met in Wilmer-Hutchins

08/25: State to audit W-H's finances

08/24: Wilmer-Hutchins is 'broke,' official testifies

08/24: School's in session for everyone now

08/23: Schools not worth saving, W-H told

08/22: Wilmer-Hutchins' recent woes are part of dismal pattern

[TexasStooge]

Illegal pay in W-H

Auditors: Schools chief must return $16,000 in post-contract salary

By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

Wilmer-Hutchins Superintendent Charles Matthews received more than $16,000 in illegal pay last year, according to investigators.

The Texas Education Agency now says he'll have to pay back the money, which violates a clause of the Texas Constitution. But Dr. Matthews said Wednesday that he wasn't convinced he had to.

"I'll have to look at the legal aspects of it," he said. "If I don't have to pay it, I won't. If I do have to pay it, I will."

The illegal pay is one of several findings in the preliminary audit report generated by TEA investigators. They arrived in the troubled district Aug. 30, after the district ran out of money and couldn't afford to pay its teachers. On Monday, the district announced that it would have to lay off nearly 20 percent of its workforce in the coming months to remain solvent.

Among the report's other findings:

• The district illegally funneled $500,000 from its bond fund into general revenues as officials realized they were running out of money.

• Despite a hiring freeze – instituted as part of a plan to recover from previous financial mismanagement – the district hired new employees and gave some raises.

• Without immediate action, the district will have a deficit of $5.3 million for the current school year.

Dr. Matthews' disputed pay dates to his hiring in October 2002. According to board president Luther Edwards, Dr. Matthews initially negotiated a salary of $175,000.

That was substantially higher than his predecessor, Harvey Rayson, although it's unclear how much Mr. Rayson was actually paid. Mr. Edwards said Mr. Rayson made $125,000. State records indicate his salary was actually $95,100.

In any event, Dr. Matthews agreed to a $175,000 salary. But Mr. Edwards said the district didn't want to pay that amount immediately. "I wanted to wait until after we did the budget," he said. So Dr. Matthews accepted a $125,000 salary initially.

In April 2003, the district gave him a $50,000 raise, retroactive to his date of hire. Mr. Edwards didn't say at the time that the raise had been prenegotiated – he said it was the result of a six-month performance review.

At the time, Dr. Matthews defended the raise. "Less-experienced superintendents are cheaper," he said. "You get what you pay for. I'm here to take Wilmer-Hutchins to new heights academically."

But according to the preliminary audit report, that raise violated the Texas Constitution, which prevents extra compensation for a public official once his contracted period of service has begun.

As a result, the audit report lists as a "required action" Dr. Matthews repaying the $16,666.64 he received retroactively.

Mr. Edwards said he had not had enough time to examine the audit report in full. But he said that if the district finds the agency is correct, Dr. Matthews will repay the money. Under TEA rules, Dr. Matthews and the district have until Nov. 3 to respond to the preliminary audit. Once the district responds, TEA will file a final audit report. At that point, the agency could choose to take over the district or institute other sanctions.