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BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) — The state is taking over a troubled Southeast Texas school district that has been investigated over its finances and its handling of services to disabled students, state officials announced Monday, the same day two former district officials pleaded guilty to fraud charges.
The Texas Education Agency will appoint a board of managers to oversee the Beaumont Independent School District, which has nearly 21,000 students, Texas Commissioner of Education Michael Williams said. Williams said he also plans to name a new district superintendent, and both should be appointed by June 15.
The TEA also announced the Beaumont school district's accreditation status will be lowered to "accredited-probation," which means the district must fix its problems in order to avoid revocation of its accreditation status. But the change in accreditation status won't affect how students and parents see a school's day-to-day operations.
"This is a critical time for the district and its students, as well as for the community as a whole," Williams wrote in a letter sent Monday to the current Beaumont superintendent and board president. "The magnitude of the findings, the serious nature of the ongoing and systemic operating deficiencies facing the district, and the importance of preventing further harm to the welfare of the Beaumont ISD's students and to the public interest compel me to appoint a board of managers at this time."
In a statement, the district said it is considering its options.
"The current Board and Superintendent are still managing the day to day operations of the district," the district said.
The district reiterated TEA statements that the lowered accreditation status will not affect the validity of its high school diplomas or graduates' ability to gain college admission.
William's decision comes after two recent TEA investigations. A financial review released this month concluded that the district in the past five years has lost the public's trust and acquired a reputation tainted by multiple incidents of fraud, waste and abuse. The report cited a continuing lack of internal controls over finances and operations despite 2013 reviews and recommendations for improvement.
On Monday, former district finance director Devin McCraney and former comptroller Sharika Allison pleaded guilty in federal court in Beaumont to fraud and conspiracy charges. The charges are related to schemes they devised in which they embezzled more than $4 million from the school district. McCraney faces up to 10 years in federal prison, while Allison faces up to five years.
In February, the TEA issued a report that substantiated numerous complaints related to special education services for students with disabilities. As a result of this report, the TEA appointed a monitor, Fred Shafer, over the district's special education department.
Williams on Monday announced that Shafer's role has been upgraded to conservator, which means he will monitor the current school board and superintendent until the board of managers is named.
The majority of the board of managers, who will be in place for up to two years, will be comprised of members of the Beaumont community.
"For quite some time now, local district leadership has had various warnings and multiple opportunities to address the many troubling issues surrounding the Beaumont Independent School District," Williams said. "The people of Beaumont have waited patiently for action, but made it very clear to me that they are now ready to restore the damaged reputation of their local school district."
In December 2012, Williams appointed a board of managers to take over the duties of the embattled board of trustees of the El Paso Independent School District in the wake of a cheating scandal that landed former Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia in prison.
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