No wonder W-Hutchins ISD is broke

[GreenBat]

W-H staffers taped taking property

08:16 AM CDT on Thursday, July 21, 2005

By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

WILMER – A Wilmer-Hutchins school official says he will launch an inventory of the district's equipment after employees were videotaped removing school property.

The official, human resources director Lew Blackburn, was present as WFAA-TV (Channel 8) videotaped an unidentified woman putting a television in her vehicle Wednesday at one of the district's closed schools.

"She took it back into the classroom," Dr. Blackburn said of the woman at Bishop Heights Elementary School. "I don't think we'll prosecute. She took it back. She didn't know it was district property. I feel certain she was trying to help the teacher."

WFAA also videotaped people loading furniture and a computer tower into their cars.

Employees of the troubled district were scheduled to remove their personal belongings from classrooms and offices this week. Dr. Blackburn said he was supervising the employees but couldn't be on campuses all day.

The Dallas school board plans to meet Monday to consider taking in Wilmer-Hutchins' 2,700 students because their district doesn't have enough money to educate them. The Texas Education Agency is trying to sell most of Wilmer-Hutchins' campuses and land and indirectly use the proceeds to funnel $4 million to Dallas schools.

Interim Superintendent Eugene Young said he was aware the district had arranged for employees to retrieve their personal items.

"If someone took district property in that way, we will prosecute them. ..." Mr. Young said. "But through the years, people collect quite a few personal items in a classroom or office."

At Wilmer-Hutchins High School, Navy Junior ROTC commander Jeff Cizek removed the last of his personal equipment from the school Wednesday afternoon.

He, like other teachers, recently received a letter informing him it was time to pack up.

"It basically said, 'Hey, it's time to go find a job and move out,' " he said.

Mr. Cizek's property included a refrigerator, printer and lectern.

"The school didn't reimburse me for [anything]," he said. "That's part of the problem."