DALLAS — It's a $64 million question that festers inside the walls of the Dallas Independent School District's administration building at 3700 Ross Avenue.

Who is responsible for hiring 700 new teachers when the money to pay for them was never there?

When the shortfall was first announced last week, DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa quickly dismissed his chief financial officer.

But could Hinojosa's job be in jeopardy now that the district will have to dismiss employees to make up for the shortfall?

The Board of Trustees will express its dissatisfaction with the situation at a special meeting Friday that will include the "evaluation of the performance of the Superintendent of Schools."

"This will not be a pleasant meeting," said DISD Trustee Ron Price. He said that while Hinojosa's job is not on the line, his performance will be questioned.

"Year after year after year we've heard of financial situations, scandals, whatever — but we've never had a situation in which four or five months ago we had a $54 million problem, then six months later you have a $64 million problem," Price said. "That's unacceptable."

Even Board President Jack Lowe — a staunch supporter of Hinojosa — admitted that he has serious concerns.

"I'm embarrassed and disappointed at myself for allowing this to happen," Lowe said. "This is a big bust for us financially at a time when we have so many plusses academically."

Lowe said it would be a "very big mistake" to oust Hinojosa.

The last superintendent to be fired was Bill Rojas in July of 2000. Rojas was such a bust that he lasted only 10 months on the job.

It took a unanimous vote to release him, and some trustees believe it will take a unanimous vote to fire Hinojosa.

Insiders we talked to said Hinojosa has only five solid support votes out of the nine trustees right now. If one of those votes swings the other way, Hinojosa could be gone, but the prevailing wisdom is that with the policitcal climate, it would take a unanimous or near-unanimous vote to oust the DISD chief.

This year alone, with a grade-changing scandal, a controversial grading policy shift and now a $64 million shortfall, many observers are wondering what's next.

E-mail bshipp@wfaa.com