DISD to trim auto stipends
Update: Chief willing to give up his perks; most will lose car allowance
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
By KENT FISCHER and TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News

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Dallas school Superintendent Michael Hinojosa wants to eliminate district car stipends for all but a handful of top administrators, a move that could save taxpayers millions of dollars.

The proposal comes two weeks after The Dallas Morning News reported that the district is spending nearly $3.7 million in car stipends for more than 2,300 employees, many of whom rarely travel on district business. The News also found 48 employees who receive the stipend even though they have access to district vehicles during the workday.

"We do need to apologize if an apology is in order," Dr. Hinojosa said.

His proposal, which would take effect Sept. 1, would reduce the number of people receiving car stipends to 53 central office administrators, at an annual cost of $224,201. Every other district employee would be put on a 48.5-cent-per-mile reimbursement system.

The superintendent also said that he is eliminating the problem of employees receiving both stipends and district vehicles.

Dr. Hinojosa said Tuesday that he's willing to give up some of his own transportation perks.

"I'm willing to ... give up my driver, or whatever is necessary," Dr. Hinojosa said. "I can drive my own car to schools if I have to."

The superintendent receives a $12,000 car allowance, the largest in the district, and has a district-paid driver with an annual salary of $42,906 and car at his disposal.

Dr. Hinojosa proposed cutting the car allowances just hours after announcing a three-step plan to review the district's finances and academics in an effort to make the Dallas Independent School District one of the country's top urban school systems.

To do that, "financial accountability and integrity is non-negotiable," Dr. Hinojosa said.

Several trustees said they support the car allowance proposal, which was presented at a committee meeting Tuesday. It still must be approved by the full board.

Trustees levied harsh criticism at administrators for "hiding" the stipends. A few trustees said Mr. Hinojosa's proposed reductions did not go far enough.

Trustee Hollis Brashear didn't want to wait until September to implement the change. Doing so, he said, would mean $3 million less for classrooms this year. He said administrators hid the amounts they were spending on car stipends deep inside department budgets.

Trustee Lew Blackburn wanted to allow only seven central office officials, plus school principals, to keep the stipends.

Other trustees were angry that they were in the dark about the stipends.

Board President Lois Parrott said she had questioned travel spending in years past and was told by administrators that it was "minuscule."

"I can recall conversations at this very table ... and I was told it was a minuscule amount," Dr. Parrott said. "Now, how in the blank can you call $3 million minuscule? And I don't want to hear that word again when it comes to money that could have been transferred to the classroom."

Trustee Joe May said central office administrators used car stipends to "circumvent the intent" of board decisions on salaries. He said he has been told that administrators awarded themselves stipends in years when they received small or no pay raises.

"If that's the case, it's unethical," he said. "At some point we're going to have to start dealing with the ethics in the [district], because that's where the problem is at."

Dr. Hinojosa said district lawyers will review employee contracts and district policy to determine whether the car stipend reductions can be implemented before Sept. 1, when DISD's salary changes take effect.

In making a call earlier in the day for a broad review of district finances and academics, Dr. Hinojosa said his goal is to make Dallas the country's premier urban school system. Doing that requires setting targets to improve student achievement and comparing the progress to other large districts.

The district will have an outside accounting firm review how it allocates resources. It also has contracted with the National Center for Educational Accountability to identify five goals to measure academic progress and compare it to other large districts. The center also will provide annual reports.

"The public education system in Dallas has reached the point where significant improvement will not be possible absent major changes," Dr. Hinojosa said.

E-mail kfischer@dallasnews.com or tdhobbs@dallasnews.com

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