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Dallas Independent School District, Texas

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Taxes N
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Budget Y
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Meetings Y
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Elected Officials Y
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Administrative Officials N
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Contracts P
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Audits Y
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Public records Y
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Academics Y
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Background checks N
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School district websites
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Transparency grading process


The Dallas Independent School District (DISD), is a public school system operating schools throughout Dallas County, Texas. It is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest school district in the country. It was established in 1884.

The district has 28 high schools, 32 middle schools, three "primary/secondary" schools that include grades normally in both middle schools and elementary schools, more than 150 elementary schools, and one early childhood development center.

[edit] Website evaluation

Main article: Evaluation of Texas school district websites

[edit] The good

  • Current and recent budgets, including revenue information, are posted.[1]
  • Board of Trustees are listed with contact information, including phone numbers and addresses.[2]
  • Meeting dates, agendas, minutes, and videos are available.[3]
  • Past audits are posted.[4]
  • Superintendent's contact information is posted.[5]
  • Department contact information is posted, but administrators are not listed.[6]
  • Academic performance results are provided.[7]
  • Applications, benefits, and compensation information is posted.[8]
  • Vendor information and bids are posted.[9]
  • Employee pay scales are posted. [10]
  • Public information request services are provided.[11]

[edit] The bad

  • Local tax information is not provided.
  • Administrative officials do not have contact information provided.
  • Contract dates are not posted.
  • Criminal history process information is not provided

[edit] Open meetings

DISD Trustee Carla Ranger said that trustees of the Dallas Independent School District discussed candidates for interim superintendent in a closed session, which she left in protest. The board is searching for candidates to replace Superintendent Michael Hinojosa, who's set to take the reins of the Cobb County School District in Georgia. [12]

[edit] Auditing and accounting

The accounting firm Deloitte and Touche reported in April 2008 that their audit of DISD demonstrated "an environment where policies and procedures in major departments are absent, ineffective or inconsistently applied". Auditor Reem Samra said, "The district has not developed an effective internal control environment."

The audit is not complete, but some school trustees said that they're glad the report doesn't indicate "theft or criminality".[13]

DISD officials said that delays in the long-awaited audit are the fault of a poorly implemented computer accounting system and inadequately trained employees.[14]

In November of 2008, DISD administrators warned school board members that they will likely be receiving another highly critical audit report, as they have failed to address the problems contained in the first one. [15]

[edit] Public employee salaries

Main article: Dallas Independent School District employee salaries

[edit] Superintendent salary

According to records received through Texas Education Agency, Dallas ISD has the third highest paid school superintendent in the state. Michael Hinojosa earned base pay of $332,832 in 2010/11.[16]

Superintendent Michael Hinojosa plans to move to Georgia to become superindent of Cobb County School District, where he will earn a base salary of $237,000 plus $28,000 in annual benefits, while dipping into his $200,000 annual Texas pension at the same time. [17]

[edit] Spending

Reporters for the Dallas Morning News who requested FOIA'd for copies of DISD credit card spending found expenditures on "blanket and pillow sets, Star Trek DVDs, iPods, and a subscription to an online dating service."[18]

Currently the district is also considering cutting 4,000 teacher positions. The Alliance-AFT teacher's union pointed out that before positions are cut, that the district should cut spending, like the $66,000 spent on a conference held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.[19]

[edit] Lobbying

Main article: Texas taxpayer-funded lobbying

Dallas Independent School District has five lobbyists with the Texas Ethics Commission for 2009. [20]

The school district belongs to the Texas School Alliance and the Texas Association of School Administrators, both taxpayer-funded lobbying associations.[21] [22] [23]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Budget
  2. ↑ Board of Trustees
  3. ↑ Meetings
  4. ↑ Audits
  5. ↑ Superintendent
  6. ↑ Departments
  7. ↑ Academic Performance
  8. ↑ Jobs
  9. ↑ Purchasing
  10. ↑ Pay Scale
  11. ↑ Public Information
  12. ↑ Texas Watchdog, Dallas ISD trustee Carla Ranger says board's closed-door discussion of superintendent candidates violated Open Meetings Act, Jun. 6, 2011
  13. ↑ Dallas Morning News, Audit firm faults Dallas ISD accounting policies, April 24, 2008
  14. ↑ Dallas Morning News, Dallas Independent School District officials take blame for delays in audit, April 18, 2008
  15. ↑ Dallas Morning News, 'Dallas school trustees are told new audit won't be positive, November 7, 2008
  16. ↑ 2010-2011 Texas Superintendent Salaries
  17. ↑ Texas Watchdog, Dallas schools chief bound for Georgia, plans to supplement new salary with $200,000 Texas pension, Jun. 6, 2011
  18. ↑ The Leading Source, Don't wait for the press-look into your finances now, May 8, 2008
  19. ↑ Texas Watchdog, Dallas tachers’ union criticizes DISD’s spending, says $66K for meetings at lavish hotels should be trimmed before eliminating jobs, Feb. 17, 2011
  20. ↑ Lobbying Client Search
  21. ↑ Texas School Alliance, 2007-2008 Directory
  22. ↑ TASA Executive Committee
  23. ↑ TASA Legislative Committee
Retrieved from "http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Dallas_Independent_School_District,_Texas"
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