August 1, 2007

Accurate News on TEA Report

The Texas Education Agency's audit manager Mary Gonzalez told Harold Gentry on Monday, July 30, that there is no current time frame for the preliminary report of TEA's investigation to be sent to Cleburne ISD. Ms Gonzalez said that agency management was still reviewing the report and once all departments involved had given their approval the preliminary report would be issued to the district.

Mrs. Gonzalez also stated that as a courtesy Gentry would be contacted when the report was being sent.

A recent Cleburne Times Review article contained other inaccuracies. The initial complaint filed with the TEA covers more than just a $908 dinner at Ruth Chris Steak House and a $9,800 retreat at Rough Creek Executive Resort and Retreat. The questions are centered on many different areas that involve how local, state and federal funds were spent by CISD administration. All of the expenses called into question were reviewed and approved by the CISD school board.

Also, CISD will have 30 days to respond, and upon request, a 30 day extension. This was confirmed by an email from Ramon Medina on July 31. Medina's email said:

Dear Mr. Gentry,
Thank you for your email below. You are correct. When the preliminary report is finally issued, the district shall be provided 30 calendar days to respond. Upon request, auditors may grant an additional 30 calendar days for the district to review the report and prepare its response. As you may have surmised, the report is still a work in progress. I regret the amount of time that it has taken to conduct our investigation and to draft the preliminary report. But as I trust that you will appreciate, it is important that we issue an accurate and reliable record of our findings.

If I may be of further assistance, feel free to contact me.

Sincerely, Ramón Medina
Director of Grant Audits
Division of Financial Audits
Texas Education Agency

The initial complaint was filed by Harold Gentry. The first letter received from TEA was dated September 26, 2006 stating that the complaint had been turned over to the Grants Audits Division for investigation. Information continued to flow between the TEA and Gentry for some months outlining other expenses that came up from open records provided by the district.

Gentry said "If there was nothing to this then it would have been very easy for the TEA to have dismissed the complaint long ago. TEA has spent a considerable amount of time on this investigation for this to be considered just an 'anomaly.' "