Other News

TEA Rule News
A proposed rule to implement the part of 2019’s SB11 that requires districts and charters to establish a Safe and Supportive School Program (SSSP) and to implement policies related to “trauma-informed practices” for students affected by trauma or grief.

Comment deadline: Oct. 12.

Indicted
Donald Ray Lockard, 66, of Douglasville, GA., has been indicted (press release) by a federal grand jury in connection with an email phishing scheme in which fraudsters tricked San Felipe Del Rio CISD officials to electronically transfer $2.14 million, in three payments, to what district officials thought was the account used for making the district’s bond payments. See TEN, March 16.

The federal indictment naming Lockard also includes a notice that the federal government is seeking to take possession of over $1.5 million seized from his bank accounts.

Lockard remains free on bond, and the announcement by prosecutors says other co-conspirators, who have not been publicly named, were allegedly involved.

Incentive Pay
A State Auditor’s Office report examined incentive compensation payouts for investment division employees of four state agencies for their fiscal years that ended at various times in the summer of 2019. Incentive compensation is typically paid to employees for meeting investment-return targets.

Highlights:
  • The TEA’s Permanent School Fund (PSF) awarded a total of just over $4 million in incentive compensation to 53 employees — with the most incentive compensation paid to its chief investment officer (Holland Timmins) who was awarded $332,177 in incentive compensation payable over a three-year period.

  • The TRS — excluding the $48,765 in executive performance incentive pay given to TRS Executive Director Brian Guthrie — awarded a total of $13.06 million in incentive compensation to 155 employees, with the most ($423,077 payable over a two-year period) awarded to a senior managing director.

  • The General Land Office awarded $489,278 in incentive compensation to five employees (including $276,816 payable to its chief investment officer, payable over a two-year period).

  • The Employees Retirement System (ERS) awarded $3.97 million in incentive compensation to 74 employees, with the most paid ($285,629 payable over a three-year period to the system’s chief executive officer).

Economic Agreements
The State Auditor’s Office examined (in this report) Texas Economic Development Act agreements entered into by the Brazosport, Canyon, and Iraan-Sheffield ISDs whereby the districts agreed to grant businesses limitations on their appraised property values for taxation purposes in exchange for capital investments and job creation benefitting the local and state economies.

The only major irregularity uncovered by the audits was in Brazosport ISD, which did not receive payments totaling $907,825 by the required due date of Jan. 31, 2020. The district received the payments on May 6, 2020, after the issue was pointed out by the auditors.

Setting it Straight
 An item that the State Board of Education approved during its Sept. 1-2 meeting that provides an option for Texas Tech and UT Austin to receive state funding for its public school course offerings was approved on final adoption. Incorrect info was published in TEN, Sept. 14.