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

[TexasStooge]

W-H pay lapses detailed

Report: At least 1 former employee kept getting money

By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

Long after leaving the district, at least one former Wilmer-Hutchins employee stayed on the payroll, according to a state management team report.

The report also states that the district has had problems maintaining proper controls in its human resources and payroll departments, and that has sometimes led to human resources director Lew Blackburn "inappropriately interfering" with how some teachers are paid.

"We're trying to put in place the internal controls we need," said Michelle Willhelm, one of the two state-appointed managers who now oversee Wilmer-Hutchins.

The problems are outlined in a management team report submitted to Texas Education Agency officials last week. The report summarizes a number of problems state managers have found with the way the district operates.

Several of the problems center on the district's staffing systems. Those responsibilities fall under Dr. Blackburn, who is also a Dallas school board member.

"On at least one occasion, the HR Executive Director has failed to notify the payroll office of a termination of employment, resulting in the continuation of automatic direct deposit payments to a former employee," the report says.

The report gives no details about the former employee who received the money. Ms. Willhelm said that she did not remember specifics but that she thought the employee remained on the district's payroll for months after ceasing to work for the district.

Dr. Blackburn could not be reached for comment. But Ms. Willhelm said Dr. Blackburn told her that the reason he didn't have the employee removed from the payroll was forgetfulness. "It just got by him," she said.

Ms. Willhelm said she did not have any reason to believe there was anything intentionally improper about Dr. Blackburn's actions.

"We've dealt with these concerns," interim Superintendent James Damm said. "Everyone needs to do their own function so the possibility of collusion is done away with."

Ms. Willhelm said she did not know whether the former employee in question was Gerald Henderson, the district's former maintenance director. Mr. Henderson stopped working for the district in 2002, but a portion of his salary remained in the district budget through last year – despite Mr. Henderson's claims that he was not receiving any of the money.

It was a stack of documents relating to Mr. Henderson that former Wilmer-Hutchins Superintendent Charles Matthews allegedly ordered a district employee to destroy in September. Dr. Matthews was indicted on felony document tampering charges in November.

The report also criticizes Dr. Blackburn for "inappropriately interfering with payroll functions," including reviewing all school authorizations to use substitute teachers before allowing the payroll department to issue paychecks. As a result of Dr. Blackburn's interference, Ms. Willhelm said, some substitute teachers were not paid on time.

"He was trying to manage by interfering with the system," Ms. Willhelm said, adding that Dr. Blackburn was trying to cut spending by avoiding improper use of substitutes.

Dr. Blackburn also is criticized in the report for not responding to open-records requests in a timely manner. Some citizens and journalists have complained about district records not being turned over under the requirements of state law. As a result of the complaints, responsibility for open-records requests has been removed from Dr. Blackburn and passed to the superintendent's office.

In other Wilmer-Hutchins news, state District Judge Kent Sims instructed attorneys in a case questioning the residency of a Wilmer-Hutchins school board member to submit briefs by mid-February.

Board member Vornadette "Sha Sha" Brewer was among those testifying in the case Thursday. Ms. Brewer is school board President Luther Edwards' sister-in-law, and plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege she does not live within the school district's boundaries.

[TexasStooge]

W-H officials sold school's land

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8

HUTCHINS, Texas - Wilmer-Hutchins ISD officials are having difficultly explaining why they sold a large chunk of an active school property.

The sale of Kennedy Curry Middle School, which sits on about 10 acres of South Dallas land near Interstate 20, took place last year in a transaction that was kept quiet until now.

On April 12, school board president Luther Edwards and board secretary Dortha Thomas signed off on the sale of 4.5 acres of that property. A quitclaim deed indicates the district received $4,700 for the property at 3501 Soft Wind.

Both Edwards and Thomas said they had no idea they were selling part of a school.

Buyer John DeJean said he actually paid $10,000 to the law office of the district's tax attorney, State Sen. Royce West. DeJean said he thought he was buying vacant property.

"We were able to buy those properties without going through any type of auction," DeJean said. "It's difficult to tell because we don't have a precise survey, but according to appraisal district records it looks like two-thirds of the cafeteria has been sold, and possibly three to four feet of the southern wing of the Kennedy Curry Middle School."

When asked why he paid for land before doing a survey and a title search, DeJean blamed the school district and said they told him the land was "free and clear."

"Our faith was in the Wilmer-Hutchins School District," DeJean said. "Our faith was in their attorneys."

Royce West told News 8 he has no knowledge of the transaction, and deferred questions to one of his attorneys, Craig Capua.

"I have not seen any title information," Capua said. "I have not seen any survey to determine if there is any boundary discrepancy or not."

But according to a land survey done last May, the sale clearly involved the school building, and indicated it was brought to the attention of Royce and the owner John.

Neither the school principal nor interim superintendent Jim Damm responded to News 8's questions. But Dejean said he wants more answers - and may even file suit against the district to get them.

[TexasStooge]

W-H delays election decision

District to reconsider calling vote on disputed tax rate

By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - Wilmer-Hutchins school board members postponed a decision Monday night to call a special election in May that could spell the end of the troubled school district.

The board has rescheduled its decision for Feb. 24.

If the election is conducted, voters will be asked to allow the school district to continue levying the property tax rate it has been using for several years. That rate, about $1.58 per $100 of assessed value, is in conflict with a 1956 election that set the rate at no more than 90 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

The school board has raised the tax rate several times since then, but the district has no record of voters authorizing the increases, which is required.

Lionel Churchill, a former school board member, vowed to work to defeat the tax-rate proposal. He and others have collected more than 2,000 registered voters' signatures for a petition seeking to abolish the school district.

Mr. Churchill said Wilmer-Hutchins could merge with neighboring school districts.

Officials said the district could not operate at the lower tax rate. Interim Superintendent Jim Damm said the district would be forced to use the lower tax rate at the start of its new fiscal year in September if voters reject the proposition.

"I would tell voters that this is a vote for the children," board President Luther Edwards said. "It's a vote on the continuation of the education for the children in the district. This is not something the district intentionally did. We just can't find the records."

Brenda Duff – a former school board member who has filed criminal complaints and lawsuits against district leaders in the last decade – said she filed a taxpayer protest based on the disputed tax rate.

School districts have to check all bond packages with the state attorney general's office to ensure financial conditions are met. But a spokesman for the attorney general's office said the agency doesn't track or regulate school district tax rates.

A more immediate concern is a $3.4 million note that's due in March. Mr. Damm said that the district had been trying to get the loan restructured but that the lending institution wants to wait to see whether the tax-rate election succeeds.

He also said the district had been turned down for a bridge loan.

Mr. Damm said the administration is working on asking the state to forward the major portion of its state funds between now and May to help pay for the loan.

[TexasStooge]

Wilmer-Hutchins may get property back

Land sold at auction in 2004 overlapped with district boundaries

By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - A little wheeling and dealing between a developer and Wilmer-Hutchins school officials could have cost children their playgrounds.

But now, a Wilmer-Hutchins tax attorney says the students will have their playgrounds back.

A 4-acre tract adjacent to Bishop Heights Elementary and Kennedy Curry Middle schools was sold at auction in April 2004, according to county records. Craig Capua – a tax attorney for West and Gooden, which represents the district – said the buyer called him and told him that the tract and the schools' property overlapped.

Mr. Capua said the Dallas County tax office refunded the buyer's money after realizing that part of the property belonged to the school district.

"I realized there might be a discrepancy within the two properties and asked the buyer to quitclaim it back to the district," Mr. Capua said. "I prepared and filed the paperwork today [Monday]. I'll work with DCAD [Dallas Central Appraisal District] to review the chain of titles and legal descriptions so that there are no boundary issues in the future."

A quitclaim acts as a bill of sale and releases legal claim to a deed.

However, Brenda Duff, a former school board member, said she plans to file suit against the district because she doesn't believe the board properly approved that land sale and others.

Bill McIntyre, an investigator in Phillip Layer's law office, said his research showed no record that the Wilmer-Hutchins board voted on the sale and raised questions about several other property transactions. Mr. Layer is representing some Wilmer-Hutchins residents in a residency lawsuit seeking to remove a board member.

Mr. McIntyre said former superintendent Charles Matthews signed some of the quitclaim deeds. Dr. Matthews was indicted last year on charges that he tampered with evidence in an ongoing investigation and was removed from his post.

Board President Luther Edwards said that Dr. Matthews might have signed for board Secretary Dortha Thomas, but she always came back and also approved the documents.

Interim Superintendent James Damm said the board voted recently to sell 36 tax-delinquent properties but isn't certain about the status of past land sales.

Mr. Capua said Section 34.05 of the Texas Property Tax Code and Section 11.154 of the Texas Education Code give the board authority to dispose of land in this manner. Mr. Capua said the district sells properties to obtain revenue for the district and to get those properties back on the tax rolls.

Mr. McIntyre, however, disputes that the transactions were approved in open session, as required by law.

[TexasStooge]

Finally some good news for a change.

Monitors descend for TAKS testing

70 at Wilmer-Hutchins called agency's biggest anti-cheating effort ever

By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - More than 70 state employees turned out at Wilmer-Hutchins schools on Tuesday to ensure that there was no cheating on the first day of TAKS testing. State officials said it was probably the largest test-monitoring effort the Texas Education Agency has launched.

"We wanted to give the kids the best, most secure testing environment possible," said Sharon Jackson, the state's deputy associate commissioner for standards and alignment, who spent Tuesday overseeing testing at Alta Mesa Elementary, one of the schools that previously had suspicious scores.

The monitors arrived at Wilmer-Hutchins at the request of state Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley after a Dallas Morning News investigation found suspicious test scores in several district schools.

The Wilmer-Hutchins monitors – all employees of the state education service center in Richardson – were present in every classroom where a test was being administered.

The TEA began an investigation into cheating at Wilmer-Hutchins in November, and state officials say a preliminary report will be issued in the next few weeks. The Texas Rangers have also begun a criminal investigation. The principal of Wilmer Elementary resigned unexpectedly shortly after the News investigation found highly unlikely score swings at her school.

Other districts ramped up their monitoring efforts as a result of the News investigation, which found unusual swings in test scores at nearly 400 Texas schools. But none matched the one-monitor-per-classroom standard the TEA used in Wilmer-Hutchins.

In Houston, officials have trained 600 monitors, most of them current district employees or retired educators. That's enough to have two monitors in every Houston school, although not all were used Tuesday because not every school administered the test. This week's tests are being given to students in grades 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11.

"The message we want to make loud and clear is: Don't even think about cheating," said Houston schools spokesman Terry Abbott.

The monitors are ensuring the security of testing materials, including witnessing the breaking of special seals on test documents, Mr. Abbott said.

Last week, Houston officials announced the firing of two teachers and the demotion of the principal at Sanderson Elementary, where The News found extremely unlikely fifth-grade math scores. A district investigation found more than a dozen Sanderson fifth-graders who said teachers checked their answer sheets and had them redo the questions they had answered incorrectly. Investigations into other schools are ongoing.

Dallas schools also deployed a new system of monitors to oversee testing Tuesday, but district spokesman Donald Claxton would not say how many monitors there were.

Every school administering the TAKS this week will receive at least one visit from monitors, he said. But in schools that have had unusual test score patterns in the past, "certainly there'll be a more concentrated effort," he said.

Dallas officials are investigating the possibility of cheating at dozens of schools with unusual test score swings. The district's final report is expected soon.

The TEA has previously sent testing monitors into Texas schools during or after cheating investigations, but state officials said they couldn't remember any previous effort on the same scale as that at Wilmer-Hutchins.

Normally, test booklets and forms are delivered to a school district several days before test day. But Wilmer-Hutchins' test documents were delivered to the Richardson service center to keep them secure. "There's not a period of time where the tests are out of our sight," said Sandy Maddox, the service center's associate director for instruction.

State officials said Tuesday afternoon they had encountered no problems monitoring in Wilmer-Hutchins. "Everyone was congenial," Dr. Maddox said. "I didn't feel any negativity whatsoever."

[TexasStooge]

Report: Wilmer-Hutchins board could face removal

Officials suggest review in May; president calls criticism a conspiracy

By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - State officials could try to kick the Wilmer-Hutchins school board out of office as soon as May if board members don't improve their attitude, according to a new state report.

But the board's president said the report is just the latest sign of a "major conspiracy" that seeks to destroy the troubled school district and has already stolen a state football championship from Wilmer-Hutchins High.

"Ray Charles was blind, but even he could see the conspiracy," Luther Edwards said. "You may beat us, just like slavery, but we will still fight you until the last breath."

"That is ridiculous," said Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Debbie Graves Ratcliffe. "If we had wanted to close this district down, there probably could have been opportunities before now. It's an insult to suggest the management team wants to do anything other than save this district. But because of long-term mismanagement, its future is unclear right now."

The report – written by the district's two state managers, Albert Black and Michelle Willhelm – criticizes the school board for not being cooperative with emergency measures required to bring the nearly insolvent district to financial stability.

"The board of trustees has taken very little initiative to find solutions to its financial and instructional problems," the report says. "This unwillingness to deal with difficult financial decisions supports the concern expressed by many in the community that the board would be unable or unwilling to meet its governance responsibilities without the state's presence and oversight of the district's operations."

The report recommends that the Texas Education Agency keep the state managers in place until May, when "a determination can be made about the board of trustees' commitment to the efficient and effective operations of the school district."

Under state law, the TEA can eliminate the board by upgrading the level of its intervention in the district from a management team – the title Mr. Black and Ms. Willhelm currently hold – to a board of managers.

Under that scenario, the TEA would remove the entire school board from office and appoint a state-selected group of trustees to replace them.

Mr. Edwards, the board president, said the criticism is unfounded and the latest step in what he said is a decades-old, wide-ranging conspiracy to destroy Wilmer-Hutchins. The district has been among the state's worst for decades, and state officials have intervened in Wilmer-Hutchins affairs dozens of times. Many have accused board members of sabotaging state efforts.

"You've got people who want to see this district abolished," Mr. Edwards said. "It's all about money. It's a conspiracy. People need to wake up."

He said he would not speculate who was a part of the conspiracy, but he said it included "major players in the state." He said he did not know whether Mr. Black and Ms. Willhelm were part of the conspiracy.

Mr. Edwards said the conspiracy was driven by wealthy individuals who want to profit off the purchase of land within the district's boundaries. He said he believes that the district's endless stream of problems in recent years have largely been the invention of members of the conspiracy.

"You want to get us out of the way, so you put the state in charge and they find all these things that are wrong," he said. "Anybody who is standing in the way of progress will get run over."

Mr. Edwards said the conspiracy intervened in Wilmer-Hutchins High's football season last fall, when the high-ranked Eagles lost a Nov. 26 playoff game to Tatum, 23-19.

"Our football team would have won the state championship, but the politics got in the way," he said. "The referees took the game away from the kids."

He said referees also stole a football championship from Wilmer-Hutchins when he was a student in the early 1970s.

Since the current state takeover began in November, board members have had to be overruled by state managers when they have refused to carry out TEA's cost-cutting wishes.

"At recent board meetings, several trustees have strongly expressed opposition to urgent, emergency measures needed to balance the budget, solve cash flow problems, and meet payroll obligations," according to the report.

Several TEA officials expressed interest in imposing a board of managers when considering the agency's takeover options last fall. But they eventually determined that, under state law, it could not remove the school board unless the district had received the lowest mark, academically unacceptable, in the state's school ratings system.

But the district could earn that rating in the next few weeks. In November, The Dallas Morning News analyzed Wilmer-Hutchins' test scores and found statistical patterns that strongly suggest organized, educator-led cheating on the state TAKS tests.

That led the TEA to launch an investigation into allegations of cheating in Wilmer-Hutchins elementary schools.

State investigators are expected to report their findings in the next few weeks. If they confirm widespread cheating, TEA could choose to lower the district's rating to academically unacceptable, which could ease the way for a takeover.

Ms. Ratcliffe said no final decision has been reached on eliminating the school board. But she did say the agency is "studying the section of the law that dictates how a board of managers can be appointed."

[TexasStooge]

Wilmer-Hutchins says no to firing

But state team finalizes Matthews' termination

By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - Saying goodbye is hard to do – especially for the Wilmer-Hutchins school board.

Board members refused late Monday to approve a hearing examiner's report that upheld a decision to fire former Superintendent Charles Matthews.

Dr. Matthews – who was indicted in October on felony charges of tampering with evidence – was placed on paid administrative leave in November.

The board was scheduled to meet Monday to consider the final termination of Dr. Matthews, which is what the hearing examiner recommended.

The board failed to uphold that recommendation on three attempts, interim Superintendent James Damm said.

After the board rejected the recommendation to fire Dr. Matthews on its first vote, a state management team appointed to oversee the troubled district overruled the board and fired him. The management team then encouraged the board to vote again, to ratify the firing. The board voted against the termination again, and a third attempt died for lack of a second.

Michelle Willhelm, who is on the management team, said the team and the board evidently disagree on the type of chief executive who should lead the district.

"The problems that exist are because of management decisions in the past," Ms. Willhelm said.

Last week, the two state managers wrote a report criticizing the board for not being cooperative. In the report, Ms. Willhelm and Albert Black said board members could be replaced as soon as May if they don't improve their attitudes.

[TexasStooge]

W-H report positive, but cites ongoing problems

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8

HUTCHINS, Texas - A report just released by the Wilmer-Hutchins School District management team cites significant progress over the past 90 days towards getting the troubled district back on track.

Since last summer, bad news was the only news from the embattled district, which faced crumbling schools and allegations of corruption throughout the administration. But evidence of change is beginning to emerge.

"There's no greater disinfectant than sunlight, and the sunlight that's being shined on the Wilmer-Hutchins school district makes it better for children, makes it better for parents and makes it better for teachers," said Dallas businessman Albert Black, one of two state-appointed managers overseeing the turnaround.

Working along side interim superintendent Jim Damm, Black is reporting to the Texas Education Agency that tax collections are up, that they've eliminated 74 non-essential positions and closed three inefficient schools.

Problematic legal and audit teams have been terminated, and payroll is now being routinely met.

"If you are not meeting your payroll, it's not a very hard decision that you are going to cut your costs," Black said.

But it's not all good news. The report also identifies what Black calls numerous challenges, including the condition of many campus facilities, over- and under-staffing, alleged cheating on the TAKS test and, most notably, the Board of Trustees.

Specifically, the report states the board "has taken very little initiative to find solutions." It goes on to say that trustees "have failed on several occasions to support the superintendent's recommendations."

Board President Luther Edwards disagrees.

"We are supportive of the TEA managers, we are supportive of the current admininstration," said board president Luther Edwards. "But there may be times when we disagree, which we have that right."

Black said ultimately, the trustees' fate lies in the hands of voters this May. He also was happy to speculate on what he'd do if he were in charge of assigning grades.

"I would give the Board of Trustees a 'C'," Black said. "For Jim Damm and the administration, I would give them a 'B' - but for the students and parents of the Wilmer-Hutchins school district, I'd give them an 'A-plus'."

[TexasStooge]

Well, it's about time.
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State takeover at Wilmer-Hutchins schools

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8

HUTCHINS, Texas - The State Education Commissioner has decided to take full charge over the problem-plagued Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District.

The decision by Dr. Shirley J. Neeley follows a report just released confirming evidence of massive cheating on the TAKS test in the district.

Problems in the WHISD were first publicly revealed in a News 8 Investigates report last summer.

According to the report released Monday by Neeley's office, the entire Wilmer-Hutchins school board has been held accountable and removed from office.

The board's dismissal came in the form of a letter from Neeley dated March 21.

In it, she cites "the District's extensive history of deficiencies, its recent significant problems, and its current failure to consistently work cooperatively with the assigned management team."

As a result, Neeley says, "I am lowering the accountability rating of Wilmer-Hutchins ISD from Academically Acceptable to Academically Unacceptable."

Neeley said she was assigning a board of managers to the district that will replace the existing board.

Interim Superintendent James Damm could also be affected. Neeley wrote about "the necessity for me to name a superintendent for the district."

Damm had no comment except to say he and the current board now have ten days to appeal Neeley's decision.

The only comment from the WHISD board Monday night came from Joan Bonner, who has consistently called for the entire board to resign. She said she welcomes the state intervention.

As for the confirmation of test cheating, Bonner said, "it's tragic that our children are victims of this academic war."

"They didn't cheat for the children, they cheated the children," she added.

The confirmation of cheating was apparently the final straw for state officials who had already ousted most of the WHISD administration, including indicted former Superintendent Charles Matthews.

From cheating to alleged misappropriation of funds to dilapidated schools and multi-million dollar budget deficits, Wilmer-Hutchins ISD had been on a ten-month collision course.

And now, the crash.
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What happened at Wilmer-Hutchins ISD so far:

3/4/05: W-H report positive, but cites ongoing problems

2/1/05: W-H says land sales conducted in closed session

1/31/05: W-H officials sold school's land

1/10/05: Judge appoints W-H supervisor

11/9/04: State team taking over W-H schools

10/29/04: W-H superintendent vows innocence after indictment

10/19/04: W-H district plans job cuts

9/22/04: Lingering problems plague W-H school's alarm system, cafeteria

9/21/04: Fire officials: W-H high school shouldn't have reopened

9/20/04: Trustee: W-H superintendent should resign

9/8/04: W-H ignored roofing consultant's offer of free help

9/7/04: W-H board passes bond issue plan

9/1/04: Angry taxpayers fighting W-H bond proposal

9/1/04: Sex assault alleged at W-H elementary school

8/30/04: Trustee demands answers over W-H budget discrepancies

8/27/04: W-H leaders blame media for district's problems

8/24/04: Grand jury looking into W-H spending allegations

8/13/04: Wilmer-Hutchins problems go beyhond high school

8/11/04: Wilmer-Hutchins delays classes due to high school's condition

8/11/04: Wilmer-Hutchins school faces massive cleanup

7/23/04: Cooperative employees on the outs with school district

[TexasStooge]

State to dissolve W-H school board

Some trustees outraged by decision, which cited teacher TAKS cheating

By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - The Wilmer-Hutchins school board will soon be out of work.

State Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley has decided to dissolve the troubled district's board because state investigators found widespread cheating by Wilmer-Hutchins teachers on the state's TAKS test.

The investigation – prompted by a series of Dallas Morning News stories in November – found that more than 20 Wilmer-Hutchins teachers and administrators gave answers to students.

According to a confidential Texas Education Agency report obtained by The News, teachers ordered students who finished the test early to fix answers on other students' answer sheets. Some students were required to have their answers checked before proceeding to the next question. And some teachers prepared answer keys for students.

In all, 22 educators were fingered by the investigation – two-thirds of all the educators who administered tests in the district's elementary schools.

"This significant number appears to indicate a pervasive lack of oversight at three of the four elementary campuses and at the district level to such an extent that the validity of the test results is compromised," the report said.

Some trustees reacted with outrage at the dissolution of the board.

"We're being declared guilty for nothing," said board President Luther Edwards. "We haven't done anything wrong. It's the major power brokers who are arranging all this."

But other area leaders welcomed the change and said the idea of teachers helping students cheat on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is shameful.

"They treated those kids horribly," Wilmer Mayor Don Hudson said of the educators accused of cheating. "They weren't doing anyone any favors except themselves. Now we'll have kids who can't function in society even with a Wilmer-Hutchins diploma because they were never really taught."

Under state law, a board of managers is the most severe intervention the commissioner can impose on a school district. The school board will be dissolved and a superintendent appointed.

James Damm has been interim superintendent since Superintendent Charles Matthews was fired in November after being indicted on felony document tampering charges. It was unclear whether Dr. Neeley would choose to reappoint Mr. Damm to the position or choose a new leader.

"I have to try to digest ... [the report] and see what it really means," Mr. Damm said.

Wilmer-Hutchins has been hammered by a series of crises in the last year, beginning with a summer storm that damaged Wilmer-Hutchins High School and left it in such condition that the start of school had to be delayed. Among the other problems:

•The district's evaporating fund balance, which meant the district didn't have the money to pay its teachers on time twice last fall.

•Criminal investigations launched by the FBI, the Texas Rangers and county and federal grand juries, including allegations that district officials fudged attendance records to illegally increase state funding.

•The indictment of Dr. Matthews and maintenance director Wallace Faggett after they were accused of destroying purchase orders and other documents sought by criminal investigators.

•The revelation that its chief attorney – since fired – had been practicing for a time without a law license.

•A judge's ruling that banned the school board from meeting because it posed a danger to the district's well-being.

•The discovery that the district had been setting its tax rate illegally since the 1970s.

"School governance is unstable in Wilmer-Hutchins ISD and has been so for many years," Dr. Neeley wrote in a letter to district leaders Monday.

The final trigger for the dissolution of the school board was the cheating scandal. Even before Monday's report, the allegations were supported by the district's abysmal performance on this spring's TAKS. In response to concerns about cheating, state officials sent more than 70 monitors to oversee the first round of TAKS testing last month – one per classroom in all the district's elementary schools.

With teachers being watched for improper behavior, scores plummeted.

This year, 39 percent of the district's fifth-graders passed the reading TAKS. That's 36 percentage points below the state average.

It's also quite a change from last year, when 89 percent of Wilmer-Hutchins fifth-graders passed the reading test – 9 percentage points above the state average.

"It's a pretty unbelievable drop in scores," said Suzanne Marchman, a TEA spokeswoman. "The fifth-grade scores are lousy."

Third-graders saw a similar, though smaller, drop – from 89 percent last year to 72 percent this year.

Concerns about the validity of Wilmer-Hutchins' test scores were first raised in a News investigation in November that found statistically unlikely swings in the district's performance. Several students also said teachers had given them answers while administering the TAKS.

After the News articles, the TEA began an investigation. In all, 54 students and 31 current and former district employees were interviewed. The report says it took several attempts to perform the student interviews because it had problems getting written permission slips sent home to parents and returned.

Investigators also found that unusually high numbers of answers were erased and replaced on the answer sheets of Wilmer-Hutchins students – and that unusually high numbers of the erasures changed wrong answers to correct ones.

For example, in one third-grade classroom at Wilmer Elementary, student answer sheets had 57 times more erasures than the state average.

Through interviews, investigators found evidence of cheating at all four Wilmer-Hutchins elementary schools: Alta Mesa, C.S. Winn, Wilmer and Hutchins. (Hutchins Elementary was closed as a cost-cutting measure in December.)

The report does not identify any of the teachers involved but does indicate that violations were most commonly found among third-grade teachers. Of the 10 educators who administered the test to third-graders, eight were found to have committed violations. Third grade is the year that students take a must-pass reading test in order to be promoted to the fourth grade.

As a result of the findings, Dr. Neeley said she will be lowering the ratings of Alta Mesa, C.S. Winn and Wilmer to "academically unacceptable," the lowest possible. The district's overall rating will also be lowered.

That's important because state officials have said that, under state law, a board of managers can be imposed only on a district with the state's lowest rating.

Dr. Neeley must now appoint a board and superintendent. Mr. Hudson, the Wilmer mayor, said that he spoke with Dr. Neeley on Monday and that the commissioner gave him the names of some of the members, though he said he did not recognize them. He said some were from the immediate area and some were not.

The TEA must also get Justice Department approval for the move because it involves the removal of an elected body.

Since the November appointment of a two-person management team, board members have clashed repeatedly with their state overseers, forcing the state managers to use their power to overrule decisions. Most recently, the board voted three times this month not to finalize the firing of Dr. Matthews, despite a state hearing examiner's report recommending the indicted leader's termination be finalized.

Mr. Edwards, a board member for 12 years, has said repeatedly that state intervention is not driven by poor decisions by the board. The real cause, he said, is a conspiracy of greed, led by shady, unknown individuals.

"We're being held accountable for things that we didn't do wrong," he said. If there was cheating in Wilmer-Hutchins, blame should fall on principals, not the board, he said.

But Michelle Willhelm, one of the state managers, said she agreed with the decision to impose a board of managers.

"The board is a hindrance to progress," she said. "It's better to move them aside and let a board of managers move ahead."

The commissioner's recommendations are included in a preliminary report that was released to district officials Monday. Mr. Damm and board members have 10 days to comment on the report's findings, after which the TEA will issue a final report and formally take steps to dissolve the board.

[TexasStooge]

Former Wilmer-Hutchins superintendent indicted

By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - Former Wilmer-Hutchins Superintendent Charles Matthews was indicted Tuesday in a case involving allegations that he ordered employees to falsify attendance data.

The indictment by a Dallas County grand jury is the second in the last five months for Dr. Matthews, a former state superintendent of the year. His leadership of the troubled Wilmer-Hutchins district is the target of numerous federal and state criminal investigations and has led the Texas Education Agency to take over district operations.

Reached at his home Tuesday, Dr. Matthews declined to comment and directed questions to his attorney, Ted Steinke. Mr. Steinke said his client "adamantly denies tampering with any attendance records" and would enter a plea of not guilty.

In Texas, school districts receive state funding based on weighted average daily attendance. How much state money a school receives is determined by how many students it has in attendance on an average day. More students means more money.

According to the indictment, in August 2003 Dr. Matthews directed Wilmer-Hutchins attendance clerks to report "a false number of pupils in attendance." The indictment says Dr. Matthews reported the cooked attendance data to state officials "with knowledge of its falsity and with intent that it be taken as a genuine governmental record."

A faked attendance rate could also have benefited Dr. Matthews personally. According to his employment contract, he would receive a bonus of nearly $9,000 if every school in the district reported an attendance rate of 95 percent or better.

According to TEA records, he didn't quite achieve that goal. In 2002-03, five of the district's nine campuses had attendance rates over 95 percent. In 2003-04 – after Dr. Matthews is accused of directing the false reporting – seven of the district's 10 campuses met that level.

But even the numbers from before tampering allegedly occurred may have been inflated. In Dr. Matthews' first year on the job, Wilmer-Hutchins had the biggest increase in its attendance rate of any independent school district in Texas.

The specific charge he faces is tampering with a governmental record, a second-degree felony. If Dr. Matthews is found guilty, the maximum penalty would be 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Dr. Matthews' first indictment – one count of felony evidence tampering – came in October. He is accused of ordering the district's maintenance director, Wallace Faggett, to destroy a stack of purchase orders and other documents that were being sought by criminal investigators. The documents were later found, torn up, in a district trash bin. The Wilmer-Hutchins school board voted to initiate his termination soon after.

The school board itself is in the process of leaving office. State Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley informed district leaders Monday that she is removing all seven of the board members from office and appointing un-elected replacements.

One of the factors cited by state officials was the board's unwillingness to finalize Dr. Matthews' firing at a board meeting March 7. The board voted three times not to fire Dr. Matthews officially, forcing state overseers to overrule their decision.

[TexasStooge]

W-H trustees fire superintendent

They'll go to Justice officials; TAKS cheating led to state decision

By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - The Wilmer-Hutchins school board fired interim Superintendent James Damm on Monday night and immediately named his replacement. The action came hours after a school board candidate obtained a temporary restraining order to keep state managers from interfering with the board's operation.

The firing came after trustees met in executive session to evaluate Mr. Damm, whose contract is set to expire at the end of April. The board graded him 1.1 on a 3.0 scale.

Named as new superintendent was Annie Lee, an educator who once served as the district's former interim superintendent and was an assistant superintendent to former Superintendent Charles Matthews.

After the firing, Mr. Damm walked out of the building amid applause from audience members. Members of the state-appointed management team – Albert Black and Michelle Willhelm – soon followed, saying they could not participate in an illegal meeting.

Prior to the meeting's start, board President Luther Edwards was served with a temporary restraining order and a temporary injunction signed by state District Judge Merrill Hartman on Monday, wresting control from the interim superintendent and the management team that the Texas Education Agency put in place in November.

Board member Lamar Walton said he lacked confidence in Mr. Damm because the superintendent sided with the state-appointed management team in removing some items from Monday night's agenda. One of the items removed was Mr. Damm's evaluation and contract consideration.

"That is insubordination," Mr. Walton said. "He disregarded the board's direction. He disregarded his bosses."

Mr. Damm, in place since November, said he was disappointed in the board's decision.

"It looks like I won't be able to work out a play with staff to help the students," Mr. Damm said. "The community is really split in the district. I hope the district can work things out."

Ms. Willhelm and Mr. Black said they couldn't stand by and watch the board's actions. Both said they'd consider returning to the district if the TEA wanted that.

"Me, I'm local," Mr. Black said. "I hoped that we could make a difference. It just can't continue like this."

Judge Hartman has ordered an April 8 hearing to hear arguments on the order and injunction. In January, the judge appointed a special master to oversee the school district. However, when plaintiffs dropped the suit, the court order was dissolved.

Former board member Brenda Duff filed for the current temporary restraining order and temporary injunction.

"I made a call today to the [U.S.] Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. The only right TEA has is to have the management team in place right now," said Ms. Duff, who is a Wilmer-Hutchins school board candidate in the May 7 election.

If elected, she said, she could be removed from office the day after the May 7 election. "We need to stick together on this."

The report cited widespread cheating on the state's TAKS test. That cheating – first uncovered in a Dallas Morning News investigation in November – was confirmed by a team of TEA investigators who have been working in the district for the last four months. Huge drops in this year's TAKS scores supported the state investigation and findings.

Agency spokeswoman Debbie Graves Ratcliffe said the agency attorneys have sent a letter to the Justice Department concerning the preliminary report but would not elaborate.

Wilmer-Hutchins board members said the state education commissioner's decision to dissolve the board is too extreme.

Mr. Edwards said the preliminary action constitutes a "clear violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965."

Judge Hartman's order seeks to ensure no violation of the Texas or U.S. constitutions or the Voting Rights Act.

Ms. Duff said the TEA wants to keep Mr. Damm as superintendent until the fall, but that's just as bad as having Dr. Matthews operating the district. Dr. Matthews has been indicted on tampering with official documents and falsifying attendance data.

"It's a power struggle going on here," Ms. Duff said. "There's no due process."

Wilmer-Hutchins school district attorney Kevin O'Hanlon said he doesn't believe the court's action would stand.

Monday morning, leaders from a handful of organizations pledged to fight Dr. Neeley's decision before the Justice Department.

Dan Ronan of WFAA ABC 8 contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Wilmer board has own agenda

Monitors have another plan for tonight's school business meeting

By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

WILMER, Texas - Who's in charge?

Dueling agendas for a Wilmer-Hutchins special school board meeting tonight have emerged – one issued by Wilmer-Hutchins school board President Luther Edwards, the other by state-appointed monitors.

That followed a decision on Friday by the 5th District Court of Appeals to throw out a week-old temporary restraining order issued by State District Court Judge Merrill Hartman, which had removed the management team that has overseen the troubled district's operations since November.

What happens tonight is a question mark.

Mr. Edwards said all the state can do is approve or reject the board's actions.

"They can't direct us how to vote," Mr. Edwards said. "What they've done is totally insulting. What do you need the board president for if they're going to do something like this?"

The two members of the state-imposed management team – Albert Black and Michelle Willhelm could not be reached for comment on Sunday. On Friday, Mr. Black had struck a conciliatory tone, saying that he would attempt to "hold out a hand of cooperation."

Mr. Edwards cited a Texas Association of School Boards policy that places the posting of the agenda in his hands. However, the Education Code says that a management team can direct the school board's action.

Several items that the state monitors had posted on their agenda are not on Mr. Edwards'. The board last week fired interim Superintendent Jim Damm, dismissed several of the district's attorneys and tentatively re-established the district's police department.

The state disagreed, and its agenda reverses many of those actions.

Mr. Damm said he's been out of the loop this last week but would attend tonight's meeting.

Mr. Damm said because of the appeals court ruling, he would think the management team would be "back in the saddle, so I would imagine theirs is the official" agenda.

The management team's agenda has an item concerning Mr. Damm's firing and his contract terms. There is no agenda item in Mr. Edwards' agenda listing Mr. Damm's employment as a topic.

Other major differences between the agendas is that Mr. Edwards' action items include board member Joan Bonner's resignation, naming and appointing a replacement and swearing in the person to replace Ms. Bonner, and approving a contract for Annie Lee, the new interim superintendent picked by the board.

The major items contained on the management team's agenda include remarks by the Texas Education Agency staff and the management team, a report from office of attorney general and rehiring Mr. Damm.

Finally, on the management team's agenda, the school board is scheduled to talk to its attorney about the TEA investigation report and TEA Commissioner Shirley Neeley's letter concerning appointment of a board of managers in executive session.

[TexasStooge]

Wilmer-Hutchins board overruled by overseers

Most actions reversed after trustees cancel meeting

By GRETEL C. KOVACH / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - State overseers met Monday night and overruled most actions the Wilmer-Hutchins school board took while the state was under a temporary restraining order, including the decision to fire interim Superintendent James Damm.

The Wilmer-Hutchins school board canceled its meeting Monday night after it couldn't agree with the state on an agenda. But the team appointed by the Texas Education Agency to manage the financially troubled district met anyway, and one Hutchins resident threatened to sue for what she said was illegal abuse of state power.

The state overseers decided in the public meeting to retain Mr. Damm and two lawyers the board had decided to fire under the now-defunct restraining order. They also elected not to hire Annie Lee as new superintendent and not to reconstitute the district's controversial police department, as the board had wanted.

"We think these decisions were needed to keep the district moving in the forward motion it was moving in," said Albert Black, one of the two state managers appointed in November who have broad legal control over the school board's actions.

Board President Luther Edwards and most board members were not present for the meeting, and Mr. Edwards could not be reached later for comment on the state's actions. About 35 people attended, including many lawyers.

Brenda Duff, a candidate and former member of the school board, said she thought it was illegal for the state managers to take such action without a quorum of board members. She said she planned to file suit against them today.

"They can only rule on the actions of the board," she said. "They do not have that type of power."

The state stepped in after it became clear this summer that the district was in financial collapse.

A restraining order issued March 25 against the state overseers was reversed on appeal Friday. An appeal of that decision was filed Monday.

Kevin O'Hanlon, one of the district lawyers the board had wanted to fire, said he thought the state's actions were legal.

As for the board members, "they don't get it, they don't understand – hiring the same people back who created the problems," he said.

Board member Joan Bonner had planned to resign Monday and said she will do so at the next school board meeting. Ms. Bonner, often the board's sole dissenting voice, said she attended Monday because no one told her the board meeting was canceled.

"It's just really tragic that they can't take care of business. ... I'm fed up with the lack of progress as a board," said Ms. Bonner, who has been a board member since 1994.

Larry Washington, a 45-year-old Oak Cliff resident who owns property in the school district and has relatives in its schools, said he was disappointed in the board for canceling its meeting Monday.

"I want them all to resign," he said.

The state should have taken over long ago because the school district's problems are harming the economy and children's education, he said.

"This school district has been a sham since I was 5 years old," he said.

The audience had applauded when the school board fired interim Superintendent Mr. Damm last week.

Mr. Damm said after the meeting Monday that the focus now will be to prepare a budget and guidelines for instruction and staffing.

"We need to get back to educating kids and fixing the financial situation," he said.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday.

Staff writer Joshua Benton contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Wilmer-Hutchins board ignores ruling, takes action

Members try to replace leader again after court backs state

By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - The state Supreme Court denied a motion Monday by a former Wilmer-Hutchins school board member to reclaim the board's power from a state-appointment management team.

But that rejection didn't keep the board from voting Monday night to accept a member's resignation, even though she had rescinded it. The board also tried to replace interim Superintendent James Damm with its own appointee, despite being overruled by the management team.

Board members accepted colleague Joan Bonner's resignation even though Ms. Bonner rescinded it in a letter dated April 7. She quoted an attorney general's opinion that stated she could rescind it if the board had not acted on the resignation.

Lamar Walton, acting board president for Luther Edwards, who was absent, ignored Ms. Bonner's plea to rescind the resignation.

Before the vote, though, Michelle Willhelm, a member of the state-appointed management team, went to the podium and said that under the Texas Education Code, the management team was directing the board to remove that item from the agenda. After the vote, Ms. Willhelm said the team was overruling the board.

Mr. Walton said, "So noted," but he refused to acknowledge Ms. Bonner on any other action before the board.

"Well, the board voted to accept her resignation, but the management team overruled," said Mr. Walton when asked after the meeting whether Ms. Bonner was a board member. "It was on the agenda."

Ms. Bonner said she had tried to place the resignation on the April 4 meeting agenda, but the board "decided to boycott the meeting. That's not my problem."

"You are so power-hungry," Ms. Bonner told her colleagues. "I don't care what you do with these action items because I'll still be a district volunteer in the morning, which is more than I can say for you, Mr. Walton. You don't do anything for the children anyway."

Mr. Walton said Ms. Bonner was out of order.

Earlier in the day, Ms. Bonner said she would remain a board member as long as the TEA was in charge.

Mr. Walton also instructed Mr. Damm to step down and asked the board-appointed interim Superintendent Annie Lee to step up to the dais. A couple of weeks ago, the board fired Mr. Damm and hired Ms. Lee.

The state-appointed management team – which has the power to reject almost any board decision – rehired Mr. Damm and released Ms. Lee in a meeting that board members did not attend.

Mr. Walton said that was an illegal meeting in which the state-appointed management team rescinded nearly every board decision taken at its March 31 meeting.

Ms. Willhelm, who with another manager has TEA authority and U.S. Justice Department approval to operate the school district, said she has never dealt with an elected body that disregards the law.

"They're disregarding state law, but not its money," Ms. Willhelm said. "Two-thirds of the money this district receives is from the state. It makes no sense. Mr. Damm is superintendent, not Ms. Lee. And Ms. Bonner is a board member."

Mr. Damm was hired as interim superintendent in November to replace Charles Matthews, who was indicted on felony charges of tampering with evidence during a state investigation into the troubled district.

A state management team took control of the school district that month after it became clear it was in financial collapse.

State Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley has asked the U.S. Justice Department to approve the dissolution of the Wilmer-Hutchins school board. That decision is pending.

[TexasStooge]

W-H extracurricular programs' fate rests with vote

By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8

HUTCHINS, Texas - If Wilmer-Hutchins schools don't get a vote of confidence from taxpayers a week from Saturday, everything but academics could get cut.

The decision looms large for athletes who stand to lose a lot if the district is forced to drop the ball.

Amid the indictments and accusations of wrongdoing, a lot of Wilmer-Hutchins kids are doing right.

"We have four kids who are considered to be Division I prospects," said Wilmer-Hutchins athletic director Mike Robinson.

State auditors are combing over the district's books as scouts are closely watching Spring workouts. All-State corner Anthony Webb is all over the field, generating interest all over the map.

"It's probably the best time of my life," said Webb, a junior. "I talk to coaches every day."

"We have two kids that have offers right now based on what they did here at Wilmer-Hutchins," Robinson said. "I don't want them to have to go find those kids somewhere at another next campus next year.

It comes down to money: If Wilmer-Hutchins ISD makes it another year, its winning sports programs may not.

"Extracurricular things are what gives you your school pride," Robinson said.

The football team won district last year, and nearly two dozen girls and boys qualified for this weekend's regional track and field meet. Additionally, the boys' basketball team advanced to the regional tournament and the baseball team is in the playoffs for the first time in the school's history.

However, all of those programs could disappear with one vote on May 7.

Taxpayers will write the playbook, voting on whether to make legal what they've already been paying for decades in property taxes.

If not, nearly $7 million in income disappears.

"To lose that in a budget of $18 million would make a very serious impact in how we could deliver services, and if we could even keep the doors open," said interim W-H superintendent James Damm.

Everything is on the table - and for Anthony Webb, he just wants the decision to be made.

"If they shut us down, they shut us down," Webb said. "If they don't, we're going to be out there next year waiting on anybody."

[TexasStooge]

Election could finish W-H

Troubled district would lose 40% of its taxing ability if proposal fails

By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

HUTCHINS, Texas - If Wilmer-Hutchins voters defeat a tax rate authorization proposal Saturday, it could quickly bring a financial end to the struggling district.

Laboring to corral the budget as it is, the Wilmer-Hutchins district would lose more than 40 percent of its taxing ability if the measure fails.

Win or lose, the district has a $3.3 million loan from Wells Fargo Brokerage Services and its affiliates that is past due.

In addition, the district needs about $2 million more to make payroll this summer. To secure the $2 million, the district would have to convince a lender that it could pay back the new and old loans.

James Damm, Wilmer-Hutchins school district interim superintendent, said the bankers he's talked to haven't said yes and haven't said no.

"They're not going to say anything until the fat lady sings," Mr. Damm said. Saturday's election is the opera.

Walt Herring, who is with Fulbright & Jaworski and represents the investment group waiting for its payback, said his client would continue to evaluate the situation. He said no decision has been made based on possible election outcomes.

Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman said the agency wouldn't move forward with any plans until after the election. That will include choosing candidates for a board of managers that must be approved by the Justice Department.

"We don't want to influence the election," she said. Under Texas Education Code, the education commissioner has the power to annex one school district into another. Ms. Marchman said no talks have started with neighboring Dallas, Lancaster or Ferris school districts.

School districts across the state have had similar tax authorization elections to update cap authority. In many districts, the election has been termed little more than housekeeping.

Wilmer-Hutchins has been operating at or above a voter-imposed cap of 90 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

District officials found no records of an election lifting that cap, which was set in 1956, so if voters reject the proposal Saturday, the district would have to operate at the 90-cent rate.

The district's tax rate is about $1.58 per $100 valuation. Nearly $1.50 goes to maintenance and operations, and the remainder is used for debt.

A defeat at the polls could translate to about a $7 million loss for Wilmer-Hutchins.

State legislation holds some promise as lawmakers are considering dropping the tax rate cap for school districts' operations and maintenance from $1.50 to $1.30. It would still force the district to consider major cuts, district officials said.

Mr. Damm and others have said the district could continue if voters defeat the proposal, but it would be difficult.

The interim superintendent said at informational meetings that closing schools would be a possibility if the proposal were defeated. Mr. Damm also said extracurricular activities could land on the chopping block.

"I guess we could move the junior high school students into the high school and all the elementary students into the Kennedy-Curry and Bishop Heights sites," Mr. Damm said. "That would put about 1,200 students on one campus and 1,400 or so on the other."

He stressed that a "yes" vote would not raise the tax rate.

Robert McCollister has organized pastors to help pass the tax authorization proposal.

He said it's important to approve the measure so the district won't be destroyed.

"We think there'd be some hard cuts if it doesn't pass," Mr. McCollister said. "The ultimate worst thing would be that the district would be dissolved."

For some residents, though, the district is better served if dissolved into other districts.

Lionel Churchill said the district has inherent problems that won't allow it to survive. "I think the only salvation for these children, mostly who are Dallas residents, is to benefit from the huge Dallas school district tax base and merge with them," he said.

[TexasStooge]

Wilmer-Hutchins' fate to be decided Saturday

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

HUTCHINS, Texas - On Saturday, voters in the Wilmer-Hutchins ISD will decide the fate of a property tax proposal that could ultimately determine whether the troubled district stays in business, is closed or merged.

The district has been beset by deep financial problems, crumbling buildings, chaotic school board meetings and a former superintendent who was indicted not once, but twice.

Now, voters who live within the school system's boundaries are being asked not to increase taxes, but rather keep property taxes at the current level.

"Hopefully, they'll take the facts and make the right decision," said interim WHISD superintendent James Damm.

A 50-year-old error left Wilmer Hutchins in the spot it is in today. The district never got voter approval to raise taxes, yet they kept going up.

"I personally want to keep Wilmer-Hutchins independent," said voter Nina Calloway. "But of course, money is an issue."

The school board is an issue as well. Sources said it could be just weeks before the board is removed from office by the state.

At a minimum, if voters reject the measure the district's successful athletic teams and other programs would be slashed, and schools would almost certainly be closed.

"We would lose about $7 million of the $18 million we have now in our budget," Damm said. "Obviously, that's a little better than a third of the total budget so we would have major reductions."

For now, Texas Education Agency officials said the district's future is up to voters, and though they had no comment on the election itself, they told News 8, "we'll regroup on Monday after the voting."

Some in Wilmer-Hutchins ISD said it would be best to merge with a larger district. However, new Dallas ISD superintendent Michael Hinojosa is lukewarm about that possibility.

"The state needs to work out whatever it is," Hinojosa said. "Obviously we have our hands full, and we want to focus on the Dallas Independent School District."

The early voting period is over, so on Saturday voters will determine whether the often-troubled district is given another chance - with almost certainly new leadership - or will be closed.

[TexasStooge]

Wilmer-Hutchins schools face 40 percent cuts

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

HUTCHINS, Texas - Citizens in the troubled Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District gave the school system a no-confidence vote in Saturday's election. They rejected by a wide margin a measure that would keep property taxes at their current level.

Voters effectively said they are tired of the school board's constant in-fighting, the indictment of the district's former superintendent, ongoing financial problems and charges of academic cheating.

Now the question is: What happens next at Wilmer-Hutchins ISD?

Board member Joan Bonner conceded that she doesn't have the answer. "A plan must be put in place," she said. "We will lose at least $7 million out of our budget, and that's a lot of money."

As a result of Saturday's vote, about 40 percent of the district's total spending must now be cut.

Since before the first day of school, it's been a year of turmoil in the small district in southern Dallas.

Buildings were crumbling.

The former superintendent was indicted.

And state education officials attempted to take over management of the district, blocked every step of the way by the school board.

Voters were apparently in no mood to give the district more money.

Juanita Irving pointed to corruption at the WHISD. "You dont feel safe giving more money to people who have mishandled money in the first place," she said. "I think they should not get any more money."

If the district survives the 40 percent budget cut—and that's a big if— deep cuts are ahead.

"I think this is another way for the voters to say, 'Board members, I do not trust you.' And, of course, the children must suffer for the incompetence of the board," Bonner said.

She hinted that extracurricular activities would be the most likely targets of budget cuts.

Two controversial incumbent school board members were headed for defeat in Saturday's election.

The school board will meet on Monday night to consider its next moves.

Besides losing much of its funding, the district has a multi-million dollar loan that's come due, and the bank wants its money.

[TexasStooge]

Uncertain future for W-H schools

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

HUTCHINS, Texas - Two days after voters in the Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District voted down a property tax referendum, the school system is facing potentially huge cuts.

Now, administrators are sharpening their budget knives as the district fights for its very survival.

The district had a scheduled day off Monday, but classrooms and offices may be closed permanently if the district doesn't cut spending soon.

"In nine months, all the material assests of the district will not be sufficient to sustain it," said Albert Black, the administrator brought in by the TEA to assist the district. "It's unfair to take school children into a new school year knowing (they) cannot complete it, (so) we will have to search for alternatives."

Voters sent the troubled school board a strong message Saturday, casting ballots two-to-one against a plan to keep property taxes at their current level. The vote means the district must immediately cut spending by 40 percent, or $7 million. District officials said they can make an $11 million budget - down from $18 milion - but no one will like it.

State officials said they are looking at all options for Wilmer-Hutchins, and plan to make an announcement within weeks.

"What we have to have is a new deal, a fresh beginning that is an efficient management structure, to get things done," Black said.

Meanwhile, some in the district are questioning the legal residency of its newest board member, former district police chief Cedric Davis. Davis owns a home in Balch Springs, said he now lives in a house within the district's boundries.

"This is my permanent address," Davis said. "It's on all my mail, my driver's license, documents showing it is my permanent address. I do stay here periodically; certain times I am here, certain times I am there."

The board was to hold a meeting Monday night, but legally it cannot take action on the election results, so it will be next week before any decisions are finalized.

Merging or closing the district for next school year are certainly among the options.