Schools

School Board Votes Down Womack's Financial Investigation

The DeKalb County Board of Education voted 5-4 Tuesday against asking the governor's office to investigate the school system's finance and human resources departments.

Paul Womack, the DeKalb County Board of Education's District 4 member, has been .

The school board decided against that Monday night, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It was a 5-4 vote.

From the story:

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The motion seemed to take board Chairman Eugene Walker by surprise. "Beg your pardon?" he asked. Womack confirmed that he wanted the governor to investigate whether budget cuts ordered by the school board in past years were implemented, prompting Walker to call the move "ludicrous in the extreme" and "ridiculous."

The board also voted to approve a tax rate increase. Read the rest of the AJC story for that information.

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Commenters on a similar story about Womack's quest have also been busy on the popular DeKalb School Watch Two blog. Some say Womack's just trying to get re-elected (as he faces considerable opposition this go around). From the blog post:

Womack has been part of this the entire time. The cuts were made, then the superintendent (take your pick…including our current one!!!) signed off on new hires, new programs, you name it. He also could have pushed to settle one of the MANY lawsuits that has been bleeding the district dry for over half of a decade. He can’t cast stones now. Since he’s opened his mouth and opened himself up for litigation, have you noticed how people are distancing themselves? He doesn’t have the data to back his claims and he knows it. He just keeps pushing because (a) it’s an election year and (b) if he doesn’t keep this up it will make him look even more foolish than he already does. The AJC contacted everyone of the agencies that could be investigating this…the ones he supposedly contacted already…none of them knew what the AJC reporter was talking about. Just one more example of how Womack blusters and talks before thinking. He loves to be heard, loves to be the one with all of the information. Too bad he doesn’t have any.

Should the school board have voted differently or did the majority make the right decision? What about Womack? Tell us in the comments section below.


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