PEYTON WOLCOTT - Is Robin Hood working? A closer look at Texas' MALDEF schools

Unfortunately, week after week we read fresh reports of corruption
and fraud not to mention their kissing cousins careless spending
and waste, all resulting from lax oversight of one sort or another in
our public schools. Cash handling losses occur so frequently the
scenario's already scripted:

Size counts
The only variation in this script at right depends on the size of the
school district; if it's large enough to have a PR department, the
superintendent is saved from any mention of his/her name along
with any direct contact with the media.

Because this scenario is so familiar and because Texans bestow
so many generous professional development dollars on their
superintendents and other top administrators you have to wonder
why it's ever repeated.

Why isn't TASA offering fraud control & prevention
courses?
For one thing, conferences hosted by the Texas Association of
School Administrators (TASA) which superintendents attend for
their professional development have in the past preferred to
concentrate on being cheerleaders for their profession rather than
the true professional development you'll find at legal or medical
continuing education equivalents. As proof, look through any TASA
brochure and you'll be hard-pressed to find any mention of fraud
control and prevention.

While you can't blame TASA for wanting to self-promote -- wags at
one state agency have nicknamed them "The Lodge" -- another
reason might be the predominance of administrators blessed with
people skills in lieu of bookkeeping skills. Also, so many dollars
have flowed into our public schools for so long that the losses have
in the past been easily absorbed.

"We're broke":
ISD version vs. average Texas family version
When a superintendent tells a TV reporter "We're broke" during the
same period the supe treats herself and others to a discretionary
stay in a swank hotel, this confuses most families.

For most folks, when they're broke, the first thing they cut is
discretionary spending such as swank hotel stays and $800 steak
dinners -- if they ever indulged in those behaviors to begin with.

For families -- now struggling to meet their mortgages and pay
their ever stiffer property tax bills which here in Texas fund our
public schools -- to realize that they themselves are doing without
in order to fund luxury lifestyles among their public servants comes
as quite a shock.

A century or more ago most Texas public schools were simple
structures designed to do one thing: serve as rudimentary places
for teaching rudimentary basics such as the four basic math tables.

In the past when the economy was stronger and our dollars freer
we were generous

Having spent billions on so-called equity payments, it's appropriate
for Texans to ask whether they've improved our students'
performance in poor districts?

Starting with the first of the four Edgewood lawsuits brought against
Texans by the Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund,

P E Y T O N W O L C O T T

How we take back our children's education:
one person, one question, one school at a time.

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"Walk softly
and carry a big stick."
-- Teddy Roosevelt

"Trust but verify."
-- Ronald Reagan

Just because you can
doesn't mean you should.

Welcome to the home of the National Grassroots School District Online Check Register Movement - Est. Oct. 1, 2006

Texas public school district check registers roster: A context for transparency

H o w w e t a k e b a c k o u r c h i l d r e n ' s e d u c a t i o n: o n e p e r s o n , o n e q u e s t i o n , o n e s c h o o l a t a t i m e.

BACK

More scenes below from Edgewood ISD, lead district in the Robin Hood so-called equity lawsuits filed by MALDEF.

Edgewood districts represented
by the Mexican-American Legal
Defense Fund (MALDEF) during
the Texas Robin Hood trials in
which the Edgewood districts filed
suit for more money from other
districts with the poor Edgewood
districts playing the role of Robin
Hood.

What's driving transparency:
Are our schools, including the Edgewood Robin Hood districts,
good stewards--or wasting our money?
By Peyton Wolcott
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
For the school districts and boards who are proving to be good stewards of our taxes -- not to mention our
schoolchildren -- we citizens entrust to their care, transparency in the form of posting check registers online
has proven to be a welcome and important first step towards transparency. Superintendent after
superintendent representing the new breed of leadership in Texas public schools has told me, "Of course
we'll put our checks online. We have nothing to hide!"

For such superintendents, posting their spending online can be a way of differentiating themselves from
their careless and/or corrupt fellows. To the hundreds who have already posted, I extend a heartfelt "Thank
you!" on behalf of all who want better for our kids.

Why Texas is leading
the nation in public
school transparency
First, Gov. Rick Perry signed RP
47 in August 2005 requiring all
Texas school districts to spend
at least 65% of their monies in
the classroom by 2008-09; any
districts failing to meet the goal
would have as an out the option
of posting their check registers
online in 2010. Second, in
February 2007 then-deputy
Commissioner of Education
Robert Scott voluntarily posted
the entire Texas Education
Agency check register online.
Third, I started the national
grassroots movement in October
2006 by establishing a roster on
my website then contacted
education leaders--superinten-
dents, board members,
activists--and asked them to post
their check registers online.
There is quite simply nothing
else like Texas public schools'
meaningful
embracement of public school
accountability in the nation.

Texas Governor Rick Perry (L) and
Commissioner of Education Robert Scott

What of the Robin Hood districts and the billions of dollars directed their
way after the Edgewood lawsuits brought by the Mexican-American Legal
Defense Fund (MALDEF)?

ACT 1
SUPERINTENDENT
(into TV camera)
I'm shocked! Minnie
Mae/Donnie Bubba was a trusted
member of our team!

ACT II
SUPERINTENDENT
(to print reporter)
We're conducting a serious
investigation.

ACT III
SUPERINTENDENT
(to board)
We've improved our cash-
handling so that THIS NEVER
HAPPENS AGAIN. We've learned
from this and will move on.
We've got the greatest students
in the world and this won't
hold us back from achieving
our vision of being the best
dad-gummed district in the U.S.

After receiving complaints from Edgewood
ISD employees, three years ago I followed
this EISD maintenance truck one Saturday
for an hour. The driver made a series of
stops with no transactions other than to drop
off a fellow employee at the EISD Employee
Fitness Center parking lot where he climbed
into his personal car and drove away.

Is Robin Hood working? Does socialism even when described as "equity" work?

The post-loss script

BISD missed making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) the same week it was awarded the
$1 million Broad Prize. Given that the Broad folks have never produced a quantitative scorecard for any
winners, it's anybody's guess why with such poor academics Brownsville got the grand prize. Maybe it was
BISD's in-house PR about their own in-house TV station.

2007-08 Rating: Academically Acceptable Students: 48,284
Total receipts/all funds: $602,959,858 ($12,488 per student).
This includes $304,184,102 in state funds and $79,187,774 in
fed funds.
2003-04 - General fund budget amount likely cited during 2004
Robin Hood trial: $308,782,764 ($6,734 per student)
2003-04 Actuals: $406,620,246 (8,867/student)
BISD's supe earned a $185,000 base salary during 2006-07 --
64th highest paid of Texas' 1,031 districts; average TX supe:
$102,644
Fund balance (a district's savings): As the lucky recipient of so

How necessary is it that a high school (L) have a media
technology club complete with pro equipment? Or that a
5th grade elementary school career day have TV
coverage? Is it equitable for a "poor" district to have its
own TV station when "rich" districts can't afford one?

You would think $15,597 per student would be enough money for any district whether or not they
are among Texas' 10 poorest. But, no. EEISD's financial mismanagement (right) has been such that on
October 8, 2008 Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott appointed a conservator (one step more
scrutiny than a monitor) to oversee EEISD's finances, with authority to override local control if necessary.

2007-08 Rating: Academically Acceptable      Students: 5,594
Total receipts/all funds: $87,251,126   ($ 15,597 per student).
This includes $41,161,779 in state funds and $11,919,317 in
federal funds.    Fund balance: 15.4% versus 17.9% TX average.
EEISD's supe's base salary is $160,000; his previous
$130,000 base placed him solidly in Texas' top one-fifth. He
also receives $1,500 per month for in-region travel; everything
outside is paid in addition. Plus $150 each month for cell
phone. Plus $2,000,000 liability insurance.   Why is a superin-
tendent earning so much whose fiscal mismanagement has
forced TEA to appoint a monitor? To a district among Texas ten
poorest? Read his entire FOUR-YEAR contract here.

many generous tax dollars from other districts, Brownsville's fund balance is 23.3%, versus the state
average of 17.9%.

Fund balance: These are numbers for the most recently reported year (2005-06)

What neither MALDEF nor The Equity Center will show you:
The actual dollars the 22 Edgewood lawsuit districts spend each year

Edgewood ISD appears to be the
only Texas school district with an employee
fitness center. When I ask superintendents
at wealthier districts if they have one, to a
man they have all laughed out loud.

You've never heard of
Edgewood ISD's Employee
Fitness Center? I hadn't either
until disgruntled employees told me. They
raised several questions about the Center's
executive director's fitness for running such
a facility along with his relationship with
then-supe Richard Bocanegra, who declined
to respond to any queries, despite having a
paid EISD PR guy, then-Mario Rios (below,
with departing EISD PD officers).

My taking this photograph
below along with a similar one inside led
to my being detained by three armed EISD
police officers (above, dispersing) on August
3, 2005. Although this was two days after
TEA had declared Edgewood
"Academically Unacceptable," signage on
the front door and on the main wall of the
lobby stating the EISD was "Recognized"
didn't seem very honest; I thought folks
were entitled to know the truth.

TEA's 4 rungs:
1. Exemplary
2. Recognized
3. Academically
Acceptable
4. Academically
Unacceptable

TEA only assigned a
financial conservator after
"an audit revealed a
dwindling fund balance,
excessive spending and
questionable budgeting
practices within the school
system. The move is only

Why I don't trust or use school districts' budget summaries:
They don't represent all spending. Look at Edcouch-Elsa ISD:
Budget summary: $29,997,933 ($5,302/pupil)
PEIMS actuals: $87,251.126 ($15,597)

Edcouch-Elsa ISD

Budget Summary Report for EDCOUCH-ELSA ISD
www.eeisd.org/EEIS%20Budget%20Summary%202007-2008.pdf

Questions about what happened to all those millions?
Ask EEISD supe Michael Sandroussi (P.O. Box 127, Edcouch, Texas 78538, phone
956-262-6000 or fax 956-262-6032) or email him at msandroussi@eeisd.org
or you can try Leo Pena, EEISD business manager (mailing address: PO Box 127, Edcouch,
Texas 78538. Telephone: 956-262-6000)

Knowing what we know now
about adult LULAC community organizers'
involvement in the 2006 "student" protests
(top), is it possible that adult organizers from
LULAC, MALDEF, etc. were also behind
the 1968 Edcouch HS student walkout?

HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS
Summer 1968 - MALDEF filed
first Edgewood "Robin Hood"
lawsuit, of four.
Nov. 1968 - "Student" walkout
(see far left); kids said they wan-
ted to be able to speak Spanish
at school (why?) and to have
more curriculum re Mexico's
contributions (what, our rejec-
tion of the Napoleonic Code?) to
U.S. culture, history. (AAPerales)
2005 - 4-year FBI investigation
unraveled a string of kickbacks,
payoffs, free trips to Las Vegas
and more "brought down" EEISD
school board president Aaron
Gonzalez. (The Paper of South Texas)
Feb. 2006 - Gonzalez accused
of witness tampering by U.S.
Attorney. (Austin American-Statesman)
June 2006 - "Gonzalez pleaded
guilty to extortion in federal court
for accepting a $1,500 payment
in connection with a school
furniture contract. Gonzalez, an
insurance agent, held the
insurance contract for the city of
Elsa." (Paper of South Texas)
Nov. 2006 - (See greybar far left)
Apr. 2007 - EEISD bribes-for-
votes scandal: FBI agents
arrested insurance agent
Arnulfo "Arnie"Olivarez, "directly
involved in the Pharr-San
Juan-Alamo ISD bribery
scandal," now accused of doing
the same thing in
Edcouch-Elsa. (KRGV-TV)
Nov. 2007 - EEISD trustees
accused of using EEISD employ-
ees for campaigns (S.TX Chisme)
Nov. 2007 - Trustees voted to
replace Manny Hernandez, Jr.
as vice president after his third
arrest; charges included
cocaine, DWI, domestic violence
and burglary. Hernandez
refused to resign. (KRGV-TV)
Feb. 2008 - Judge ordered Her-
nandez to resign from EEISD
board or go to jail for 20 years.
Hernandez resigned. (Ibid.)
Oct. 2008 - TEA appoints
conservator with power to
override school board.

PSJA ISD
Aug. 2008 - Arnie Olivarez pleaded guilty, told court "he attempted to buy influence among school board members with cash."
(The Monitor)
http://www.themonitor.com/articles/case_16567___article.html/board_insurance.html

Valley In Exile: June 2006The La Joya ISD school board yanks Superintendent Filomena Leo from her duties, ..... cops can
rid the Harlingen streets of that scourge of South Texas, ...
rgvmack.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_archive.html

Judge Dietz's courtroom - 2004 Robin Hood trial

Have decades of so-called equity
payments worked their promised
transformational magic in the 22 public schools,
the so-called "Edgewood" districts, which brought
the lawsuits? How transparent are these districts?
Are their checks online to show us what they're
doing with our generosity?

Isn't it about time somebody took a closer look at
these districts?

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (L) surrounded
by press after Judge Dietz struck the last gavel.

Was November 2006
insurance contract
another example of
EEISD school board's
self-dealing practices?

(continued greybar at far left)

Edcouch board prez thinks
$15,597 per student "very
little"? In what universe?

J.J. Ybarra, Jr.

the latest setback for the district,
which took out a $3.5 million loan this
summer just to cover its operating
expenses until annual state funding
arrived . . . . District officials welcomed the
help Wednesday but said in a dark
economic climate and time of declining
enrollment they are already doing all they
can to dig themselves out of a financial
hole. 'If this is going to turn the district
around, we welcome it,' school board
President Juan Jose Ybarra, Jr. said. 'But
we've already done wonders with the
very little we do have.' " (SOURCE--The
Monitor)

Questions re supe's spending, activities
When Richard Bocanegra ended his 38-year career at Edgewood ISD by retiring this past March, he did so
amid a flurry of unanswered questions generated by business he approved, allowed to be transacted or
conducted as a private individual during his employ as EISD's superintendent:
    Rx TECHNOLOGY - EISD did $204,762 in business with Rx Technology, for whom his son worked at the
time the business was done. (SOURCE--San Antonio Express-News) Two companies by that name exist (Rx
Technology Holdings, Inc. and Rx Technology, Inc.); neither is in good standing with the Texas Comptroller.
View conflict of interest form signed by then-supe Richard Bocanegra here.
   LISA'S - EISD's purchases from Lisa's, a restaurant owned by then-supe Richard Bocanegra's close
friend Alicia "Lisa" Cendejas, went from $745 in 2001 (two years before Bocanegra became
superintendent) to $6,718 in 2005 (two years after) then $11,727 in 2007.
   LA CASITA - During an undetermined period in his superintendency Richard also owned and operated La
Casita, a day care facility. When pressed on this last point, including questions how he could do justice to
Edgewood ISD, neither Richard nor his PR guy Mario Rios would answer any questions; both now are no
longer employed by EISD.    (SOURCES--Public records, San Antonio Express-News)

EDGEWOOD DISTRICTS
1.   Brownsville
2.   Edcouch-Elsa
3.   Edgewood
4.   Harlandale
5.   Harlingen
6.   Jim Hogg County
7.   Kenedy
8.   Laredo
9.   La Feria
10. La Vega
11. Los Fresnos
12. Monte Alto
13. Pharr-San Juan-Alamo
14. Raymondville
15. Roma
16. San Benito
17. San Elizario
18. Sharyland
19. Socorro
20. South San Antonio
21. United
22. Ysleta

EDGEWOOD ISD

EDCOUCH-ELSA ISD

Questions? Mario Rios is
no longer employed by
Edgewood ISD and now
shoots wedding videos
out of his home.

2007-08 Rating: Academically Acceptable Students: 11,906
Total disbursement/all funds: $130,885,773 ($10,993/student)
includes almost $80 million in state funds and $20 million in
federal funds. Fund balance: EISD's is a whopping 25.0%
compared to 17.2% of the state average. As supe of one of
Texas' 10 poorest school districts, at $132,400 base salary, Liz
Garza is one of Texas' best-paid superintendents, in the top
fifth. She also receives a flat no-questions-asked $500/month
intradistrict travel allowance, with everything outside the district
paid separately along with all other "reasonable and necessary
expenses." Until Liz puts EISD's check register online, Texas
and federal taxpayers funding those expenses can only guess
what they might consist of. Salary for her predecessor, Richard
Bocanegra, was $143,018 during 2006-07.
2003-04 - General fund budget amount likely cited during 2004
Robin Hood trial: $88,089,887 ($6,843 per student).
EISD's conflicts disclosures here.

1. Brownsville ISD (031901) www.bisd.us

2. Edcouch-Elsa ISD (108903) www.eeisd.org

3. Edgewood ISD/San Antonio (015905) www.eisd.net

Here's what you'll see on
Edgewood ISD's Board of
Trustees page; there are 8 folks in this
picture but only 7 are statutorily elected
trustees. Does new supe Liz Garza
consider herself on equal par with trustees
who are elected by taxpayers? She's
their 4-3 vote employee.

Edgewood ISD's "Team of Eight"

Lisa's Restaurant

La Casita

Anybody at EISD or outside EISD have any
criticisms, complaints or suggestions? Send them to
the new supe's office where they will disappear into a
deep, dark bureaucratic black hole, per her contract:

5. Harlingen CISD (031903) www.harlingen.isd.tenet.edu

2007-08 Rating: Students: 17,608
Total receipts all funds: $154,497,331 ($8,774 per student)
includes $82,782,682 in state funds and $21,264,142 in federal funds.

2003-04 $100,618,368 $5,915

Richard
Bocanegra

http://www.kgbt4.com/community/video.aspx?id=208327
San Benito CISD budget shortfall
Story By Ryan Wolf posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 at 7:43 AM
Student enrollment numbers are down at San Benito CISD forcing administrators to overcome a $1 million dollar shortfall.

VIDEO:
http://www.newschannel5.tv/2008/1/3/984712/
Substitute-Teacher-Held-on--15-000-Bond
Substitute Teacher Held on $15,000 Bond
Thursday , January 03, 2008 Posted: 07:07
PM
Harlingen Teacher Arrested.flv

Man accused of inappropriate relationship
with student

HARLINGEN - A Harlingen substitute teacher
remains in jail. He's being held on a $15,000
bond.

Pierre Thomas is accused of having an
inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old
Harlingen High School student. He turned
himself into officers.

The 26-year-old former arena football player
appeared in court today via closed-circuit
television. He was charged with a
second-degree felony.

Police won't say what exactly happened
between him and the student. They did tell us
the relationship went on for about two weeks
late this fall. We've also learned the incident
happened on school grounds.

NEWSCHANNEL 5 spoke to Harlingen CISD
Superintendent Dr. Linda Wade. She tells us
the district does background checks all of its
employees. They're now conducting their own
investigation.

Thomas has only lived in Harlingen for six
months. He stopped playing for the Rio
Grande Valley Dorados in 2005.

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txs/releases/June2007/070605-PSJA.htm

June 5, 2007

PSJA ISD TRUSTEES, SUPERINTENDENT AND OTHERS
INDICTED IN BRIBERY SCHEME

[McALLEN, TX] – A 22-count federal indictment charging three current Pharr-San Juan- Alamo Independent School
District (PSJA-ISD) trustees, the husband of a PSJA-ISD trustee, the superintendent of the PSJA school district, and
two contractors for soliciting and receiving bribes in exchange for taking official action benefiting the contractors for
PSJA-ISD contracts, has been unsealed and the defendants taken into federal custody.

At a press conference held in McAllen, TX, today, U. S. Attorney DeGabrielle, joined by Assistant Special Agent in
Charge John A. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation San Antonio Division, Special Agent in Charge
Jacqueline L. Collins of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division and Steven D. Anderson,
Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the U. S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General, announce the
indictment of Rogelio “Roy” Rodriguez, 43, of Alamo, Raul “Roy” Navarro, 58, of San Juan, and Evangelina “Vangie”
De Leon, 46, of Alamo, all three PSJA-ISD trustees. Also charged are trustee DeLeon’s husband, Ricardo DeLeon, 44,
and long-time PSJA-ISD superintendent, Arturo Guajardo, 59, of San Juan. All of these defendants are collectively
referred to in the indictment as “Public Official defendants”.

The indictment also charges two persons, collectively referred to as “Contractor Defendants”, Donna Independent
School District trustee George Alonzo Hernandez, 50, of Donna, and Harlingen insurance agency owner Arnulfo
“Arnie” Olivarez, 57, of Rancho Viejo . Hernandez is charged as a contractor not in his capacity as a trustee at Donna
ISD.

“Citizens have the right to expect that their elected trustees and school officials will conduct themselves honestly and
in best interest of the district not themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle. “Public officials who violate the
public’s trust for personal gain should expect to be and will be held accountable.”

“The FBI is engaged in the fight against public corruption and will continue to aggressively investigate officials who
breach the public’s trust”, said Ralph G. Diaz, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Antonio Division.

“The Criminal Investigations Division’s expertise in conducting financial investigations has established our reputation
as one of the leaders in the fight against fraud,” said Jacqueline Collins, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue
Service, Criminal Investigation Division. “We were glad to offer our expertise in the investigation of this case and will
continue our efforts as part of a team determined to investigate corruption wherever it may be found.”

“This investigation is a prime example of what it takes to investigate public corruption today,” said John P. Higgins,
Jr., Inspector General for the U. S. Department of Education. “I am very proud of the efforts of our OIG Special Agents
and our colleagues in the FBI and IRS in pursuing allegations of fraud involving federal tax dollars by school officials
and contractors.”

The Public Official defendants are accused of accepting money, trips, entertainment, gifts, and services from various
contractors doing, or seeking to do, business with PSJA. Richard De Leon is alleged to have aided his wife as a go-
between with contractors and by accepting items of value from contractors in exchange for his wife’s influence on
contracts. Beginning in 1998 and continuing through 2004, the Public Official defendants are accused of accepting
various items of value in exchange for favorable, official votes and influence regarding PSJA-ISD contracts related to
construction projects for schools and other school district buildings. The Contractor defendants, Hernandez and
Olivarez, are alleged to have provided various items, including money, to the Public Official defendants during the
relevant time period in exchange for favorable action by the officials on district contracts.

Last evening, Evangelina “Vangie” DeLeon was arrested at her place of business in San Juan, TX. Earlier today
investigating agents arrested Raul “Roy” Navarro, Ricardo DeLeon, George Hernandez, without incident. Arturo
Guajardo surrendered himself to agents at the FBI office in McAllen, Texas late this morning. All of the defendants
presently in custody are expected to make initial appearances today before a United States Magistrate Judge in
McAllen, TX. Arnulfo “Arnie” Olivarez has been notified of the outstanding warrant for his arrest and is expected to
surrender himself to law enforcement officials. Rogelio “Roy” Rodriguez, who is presently on bond in other pending
matter, was notified of the new indictment and arraigned on Thursday, May 31, 2007.

The indictment, returned under seal on May 22, 2007 and unsealed today, charges all defendants with conspiracy to
commit extortion. The Public Official defendants are all charged with counts of extortion based on items of value
provided by contractors. PSJA-ISD, a large school district which receives substantial federal funds, is located in
Hidalgo County, Texas. In 1997 and 1999, two separate bond issues for school construction totaling just over $100
million were passed. According to allegations in the indictment, between 1998 and 2004, the Public Official defendants
received money and other items of value from contractors, including Hernandez, interested in doing business at PSJA-
ISD. In addition to cash payments, the Public Official defendants allegedly accepted several trips to Las Vegas,
Nevada and to South Padre Island; event tickets to sporting events, including an Oscar De la Hoya prize fight in Las
Vegas, Final Four NCAA basketball tournament package (worth over $14,000), tickets to San Antonio Spurs and
Houston Astros games, entertainment event tickets to a Cher concert in Las Vegas. Other items of value allegedly
given to the public officials include guns, clothes, and work performed by contractors at properties owned by the Public
Official defendants. The amount of money and other financial benefits described in the Indictment total over $600,000.
All of the items of value are alleged to have been given in exchange for the use of the official’s powers of elected office
to arrange and assist in the award of a number of PSJA-ISD construction-related contracts, and in the payment
process related to the contracts.

All counts of the Indictment individually carry a maximum statutory sentence of twenty (20) years in federal prison per
count and a maximum fine of $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.

The on-going investigation leading to the charges was conducted by special agents of the McAllen Office of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, the McAllen office of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and
the Dallas office of the U. S. Department of Education--Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted
by Assistant United States Attorney Larry Eastepp of the Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless
and until convicted through due process of law.

# # #

Department of Justice First.gov Privacy Policy Project Safe Neighborhoods PSN Grants www.regulations.gov

http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/polic
e_36112___article.html/report_girl.html

Woman, 18, arrested, accused of pulling
knife on girl, 16
Comments 3 | Recommend 1
Suspect charged with aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon
October 3, 2008 - 12:44AM
By ED ASHER/Valley Morning Star
HARLINGEN - An 18-year-old Harlingen
woman was arrested this week after she
was accused of pulling a knife on a
16-year-old girl at Harlingen High School,
police said.

Jessica Marie Padilla was arrested Tuesday
on a felony warrant charging her with
aggravated assault with a deadly weapon,
according to a police report.

The 16-year-old told police that Padilla went
onto the campus of Harlingen High School
and "had a verbal confrontation" with her,
according to the police report.

The girl said that "when she turned around to
leave, the suspect pulled out a knife and
opened it and that put her in fear for her
safety," the report said.

The girl said "the suspect told her that she
would be at her house that night. (The girl)
said that she just walked away and Jessica
left. No suspect or witnesses were located at
the time of the report," the police report said.

The incident occurred on Sept. 8, the report
said.

Police Sgt. Miryam Anderson said no one
was injured in the incident.

The girl later reported the incident to police,
Anderson said.

Padilla was arrested at 8:50 a.m. Tuesday at
Texas State Technical College, where she is
attending a General Educational
Development - or general equivalency
diploma - program, according to a police
report.

Padilla was being held Thursday at the
Harlingen City Jail with bond set at $20,000,
cash or surety, according to the jail log.

Another school district PR department, another TV station
Whether a public school district is very rich -- or very poor, as Harlingen is -- do its students really need a
6-person PR department (below right) complete with its own TV studio? Does an elementary school's visit to
a fire station merit a professional press release? How does such a feel-good enterprise prepare students
for college and careers when there are very few TV jobs out there, and the number of newspaper jobs
shrinks daily. Oh, wait! Are these students being groomed to work in school district PR departments?

The Paper of South Texas (Nov. 15, 2006)
With Edcouch-Elsa ISD’s former
school board president awaiting
trial for taking bribes & kickbacks,
current board of directors casts conten-
tious 4-3 vote to award insurance
contract to a boss of a board member’s
husband - Edcouch-Elsa school
board member Esperanza Salinas
said that Bob Treviño was the best
insurance agent to broker the district’s
health insurance plan. She said it doesn’t
matter that Treviño is on the board of
directors at the Weslaco Housing
Authority, where Salinas’ husband
Jorge Salinas is the maintenance
director and answers directly to the
board and is dependent on the board
in various ways. But on Friday Nov.3,
Esperanza Salinas and three other school
board members voted Treviño in as the dis-
trict’s insurance broker for an approximately
$3 million policy, a deal which stands to
earn Treviño somewhere near $70,000.
(More here)

1968 Edcouch HS walkout

Harlingen ISD's PR department

4. Harlandale (015904) www.harlandale.k12.tx.us

Second, everything else in this suburban
San Antonio district appears to be
continuing much the same.

Despite the generosity of Texas and U.S.
taxpayers who gave HISD $110 million in
just one year (2006-07) then-HISD
superintendent Guillermo Zavalla told the
press

20007-08 Rating: Academically Acceptable Students: 14,100
Total receipts/all funds: $233,915,317 ($16,590 per student).
This includes $90 million in state funds and $20 million in
federal funds. Fund balance: 10.5% versus 17.9% state average.
2003-04 - General fund budget amount likely cited during 2004
Robin Hood trial: $100,639,375 ($7,152 per student); during thie
period HISD had 28 fewer students than currently.
Then-superintendent William Zavala's salary ($130,000) for
2006-07 was among the top one-fifth for Texas for one of Texas'
50 poorest districts.

2007-08 Rating: Academically Acceptable      Students: 5,594
Total receipts/all funds: $87,251,126   ($ 15,597 per student).
This includes $41,161,779 in state funds and $11,919,317 in
federal funds.    Fund balance: 15.4% versus 17.9% TX average.

2003-04 budget:
EEISD's supe's base salary is $160,000; his previous $130,000
base placed him solidly in Texas' top one-fifth. He also receives
$1,500 per month for in-region travel; everything outside is paid
in addition. Plus $150 each month for cell phone. Plus
$2,000,000 liability insurance.   Why is a superin-
tendent earning so much whose fiscal mismanagement has
forced TEA to appoint a monitor? To a district among Texas ten
poorest? Read his entire FOUR-YEAR contract here.

Harlandale ISD 2006
board meeting flap

First, the good news: Harlandale ISD has posted its check registers online; congratulations and bravo for
that. Richard "Ricardo" Hernandez, the CPA employed by Harlandale ISD as assistant superintendent for
business, says that none of the expressed earlier concerns about community scrutiny and time-consuming
questions have proven true. Reflecting comments from the other Texas districts which have posted their
checks online, Richard reports that there has been "no increase in questions resulting from our posting of
the check register."

Disclosure (below) buried
in board packet materials:
Richard Villasenor,
potential vendor with
Ramirez & Co., is the son of
former HISD & long-time
First Southwest HISD
adviser, Raul Villasenor.

Harlandale ISD dads helping Junior
As regards the flap two years ago (see left), Richard says " the district only hired First Soutwest [sic] as
financial advisor for the Bond 2006 issue. Therefore, the district does not have a financial advisor at this
time." 10.30.08 UPDATE: When I followed up with Richard to learn whether the son of long-time Harlandale
ISD financial adviser Raul Villasenor of First Southwest -- also a former HISD trustee -- Richard Villasenor --
is also doing business in any way with HISD (see left), Richard said, "Currently the District is not doing any
business with Ramirez & Co. or any underwriters at this time." According to Richard, the district has not done
any business with either Richard Villasenor or any company for which he works, including Ramirez & Co.

Does one of Texas' poorest districts really need a high school for the arts? Or an
employee fitness center? Edgewood ISD may be the only school district in Texas with a dedicated
fitness center for its employees. Was this the purpose of the so-called Robin Hood lawsuits initiated by
none other than the very same Edgewood ISD?

Edgewood ISD police presence (L);
top: caged receptionist's booth inside
EISD administration foyer

Developing . . . .

Misleading signage on Edgewood ISD front door (above) on
August 3, 2006; TEA had just announced EISD was the 4th
and lowest rung, not second.

Why would elected Edgewood ISD trustees
vote for and sign a "Living Wage" resolution --
then post it on the wall of EISD's entry foyer?

Unusable new facility in 2006; below,
Edgewood ISD's employee fitness center.

Where in Edgewood's grand plan
(above) do they mention teaching kids
how to read, write, add, subtract,
multiply and divide?

Above: Expensive exterior light fixture at EISD elementary school: no
bulbs, no glass. Right: How and why did truck #47 burn up?

One day when you have some spare time, head over to Edgewood ISD and follow their maintenance trucks
around, see where they go and what they do, then file a public records request for the drivers' time sheets.
To make it more interesting, figure out who the maintenance workers are related to. Then let me know.

Elementary school (L);
high school above