By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A Charles Matthews, superintendent of the troubled Wilmer-Hutchins schools, was indicted Thursday on charges that he tampered with evidence in an ongoing investigation. The district’s maintenance director, Wallace Faggett, also was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury on the same charge. Evidence tampering is a third-degree felony with […]
Category: DMN | Education
Illegal pay in W-H; Auditors: Schools chief must return $16,000 in post-contract salary
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B 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 […]
W-H to lay off 20% of staff; Process will start next week; 30 teachers could be lost in district
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B 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 […]
Missing check plates reappear in W-H offices
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 7B Two check signature plates mysteriously reappeared in Wilmer-Hutchins administration offices Monday, answering one question but leaving open many others. The plates, which according to a Dallas police report disappeared in late July, were used to automatically print board members’ signatures on district checks. They disappeared just as it […]
Read More… from Missing check plates reappear in W-H offices
High praise at W-H; Despite ongoing turmoil, elementary gets exemplary rating
By Joshua Benton and Herb Booth Staff Writers Page 1B 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 […]
Read More… from High praise at W-H; Despite ongoing turmoil, elementary gets exemplary rating
New ratings push many schools off top of ladder; TAKS results hurt suburbs, but changes lift low scorers
By Joshua Benton and Terrence Stutz Staff Writers Page 1A Suburban pride took a hit Thursday. Across Texas, hundreds of schools used to being rated exemplary – the state’s top marker of quality – looked a little more middling when the state released its 2004 school ratings. “I know many schools are very, very disappointed,” […]
W-H school opens; But lack of fire alarm, inspection nearly shut its doors hours later
By Joshua Benton and Herb Booth Staff Writers Page 1B Classes at Wilmer-Hutchins High School nearly came to a sudden halt Tuesday – only a few hours after they began. District officials failed to repair the school’s faulty fire alarm system or seek a fire inspection before opening the school to students. Dallas fire officials […]
Early W-H vote sparse; Apathy over Saturday’s bond proposal puzzles county election chief
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B Despite all the hubbub in Wilmer-Hutchins schools over the last month – an FBI raid, a flooded high school, a bank account unexpectedly empty, teachers working unpaid – voters aren’t rushing to the polls. Only 161 people voted early for Saturday’s $68 million bond election, which both supporters […]
W-H board is urged to step down; Two African-American groups attend tense, rowdy meeting
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1B The leaders of two African-American groups – the New Black Panther Party and the Southern Christian Leadership Council – told Wilmer-Hutchins school board members Monday that they should consider resigning as a group. “It would be in the best interest of the children that you immediately step down,” […]
FBI, Rangers seize W-H documents; Agents interview officials, serve subpoenas; federal grand jury opens inquiry
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A FBI agents and Texas Rangers seized documents and served subpoenas at Wilmer-Hutchins school administration buildings Thursday, and a federal grand jury investigation is under way. Investigators from both agencies interviewed top district officials at Wilmer-Hutchins headquarters. It’s the latest expansion of a broad corruption inquiry that also includes […]