DISD Vote

Brett Shipp reports

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DALLAS — After two months of legal and emotional dialogue and a board meeting that extended into the wee hours of Friday morning, Dallas Independent School District trustees voted to slash funding at 32 magnet schools and learning centers.

School officials said the move was mandatory; school supporters said it was a mistake.

But is this the end of the debate?

DISD's magnet schools and learning centers like Dunbar Elementary were the product of a decades-old desegregation lawsuit and a judge's order to more fairly educate some of the city's poorest kids. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa says those schools now have to be cut because they get too much money relative to other schools.

"We have to be in compliance, otherwise we will forfeit over $100 million in federal funds," Hinojosa said at the raucous board meeting before he was shouted down.

For the past two months, Hinojosa's proposal has sparked vigorous debate. Before the final vote, there were allegations from upset trustees like Carla Ranger. "I have experienced and witnessed deception, deceit, and dishonest representation," she said.

Anger was also directed at school board members who had Hinojosa's support by members of the audience.

But just after 1 a.m. Friday, as fatigue set in, trustees cast their votes 5-4 in favor of the funding cutback. The district will not dismantle the magnet schools and learning centers, but will cut their budgets by 10 to 15 percent. The decision will mean reassignments for some and job losses for others.

Trustee Ron Price said the rancor could have been avoided. "My colleagues who voted against the magnet schools and learning centers, they were misled by this administration," he said. "It was wrong. It wasn't factual information. It was a big scam."

Hinojosa said because the board acted responsibly, jobs will be saved and the program losses will be minimal. "I've been to one of these schools that had a handbells class," he said. "They probably won't be able to keep their handbells class."

But at Dunbar Elementary — where one-third of the computers in the lab already don't work — it may mean that much longer before they get fixed.

E-mail bshipp@wfaa.com