New TEA investigation 942020

TEA Notifies District of Impending Special investigation

DeSoto ISD Board President Karen Daniel and Acting Superintendent Don Hooper received a notice dated September 2 from the Texas Education Agency that a new Special Accreditation Investigation has been authorized and initiated.

 

The notice states “The nature of the complaints received by TEA indicate that the DeISD Board of Trustees self-appointed a conservator to oversee the superintendent and the administration. Further, the DeISD Board of Trustees called and conducted an emergency meeting when, in fact, the contents of the discussion did not meet the legal threshold for calling an emergency meeting.”

 

The alleged violations fall within the following areas:


  1. Tex. Educ. Code §11.1511 specific powers and duties of board
  2. Tex. Educ. Code §11.1512 collaboration between board and superintendent
  3. Tex. Educ. Code §11.1513 employment policy
  4. Tex. Gov’t code §551.043 time and accessibility of notice; general rule
  5. Tex. Gov’t code §551.045 exception to general rule: notice of emergency meeting or emergency addition to agenda
  6. Tex. Gov’t code §551.047 special notice to news media of emergency meeting or emergency addition to agenda

 

This investigation is conducted under the following authority:

Tex. Educ. Code §39.057(a)(6) Special Accreditation Investigations

Tex. Educ. Code §39.057(a)(16) Special Accreditation Investigations


Upon completion of the investigation, TEA will present preliminary findings to any person or entity the agency finds has violated a law, rule, or policy. By policy, before issuing a report with its final findings, the agency must provide a person or entity the agency finds has violated a law, rule, or policy an opportunity for an informal review by the commissioner or a designated hearing examiner.


“This board did not intend to violate any policies and will ensure we gain complete understanding of any transgression that might have occurred,” Board President Daniel said. “We apologize to our community for this disruption at such a critical time, and commit to fully cooperate with investigators to complete an accurate and efficient investigation.”