BISD board president disagrees with judge's conclusions

Comments 17
April 01, 2010 7:06 PM
Scott Lawrence


The Beaumont school board president told KFDM News he strongly disagrees with a judge's conclusion that the board and the district misled the public about plans for South Park Middle School.

During a hearing Wednesday, State District Judge Bob Wortham said BISD "committed a fraud upon the citizens" and the board "violated the Texas Open Meetings Act" in their handling of the South Park school case.

The Beaumont Heritage Society sued the district and it wanted the judge to revise his order to prevent BISD from using non-bond issue money to demolish South Park Middle School. The judge already ruled the district couldn't use bond money.

He didn't issue a ruling Wednesday and the attorney representing BISD told KFDM News she's advising the district it can move ahead with demolition whenever it chooses.

Judge Wortham wrote the board and administration "committed a fraud upon citizens" because, in his conclusions of law, he stated that even before the bond issue vote, it had already decided to demolish the school in order to build a new middle school.

He also said the board violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by going behind closed doors to make a decision away from public scrutiny.

KFDM News contacted board president Woodrow Reece on Thursday for reaction to the hearing.

"I definitely and absolutely disagree with his findings," Reece told KFDM News. "There were no facts presented, just rumors."

Reece denied there were any secret meetings, discussions or votes behind closed doors prior to the bond election.

"We voted to demolish it on March 18, 2010. There was never a vote before that."

Reece says it's time to demolish the school and begin construction on a new campus for South Park students.

"We already gave them (administrators) authorization to demolish the school," said Reece. "They already took bids. They've done asbestos abatement. We just needed it from our attorney and she said 'you can.' It's up to the administration to bring in equipment and get it done so we can build a beautiful building on Highland."

Reece believes families in the South Park area will be happy with the new school once it's constructed.

"I think they'll be ecstatic," said Reece, "but some will be sentimental. We've had a lot of historic school buildings and they're gone and the kids are getting a good education. We'll have one of the most beautiful cities in terms of school buildings anywhere. We'll have a beautiful city. We'll get up on the map again as one of the most visited cities and people will want to live here again. It'll be a beautiful day."


comments:

sly007 wrote:
@girlforgod- I grew up in SP and moved away in the 90's. I am a home health nurse seeing patients in the SouthEnd every week. No offense to your parents, but last week when I was drove down Highland I didn't see any nice homes. Maybe I missed theirs. Don't get me wrong- I wish SP was as nice as it used to be. My family has a Southend business too but unfortunately a fence with razor wire had to be put up due to multiple hold-ups and break-ins in the parking lot. I'll never forget the time my brother shot at a robber running down the street......Where's the cafe? I'll stop in for some coffee.
4/3/2010 3:36 PM CDT on KFDM.com
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girlforgod wrote:
oh deanna, same to you. do you live in sp? i don't think our neighborhood has gone to pot. it's so nice when someone from the outside tries to make an observation on something they have no clue about. and we probably pay just as much school taxes as you do. i see what beaumont is about, take care of your own, and stay away from mine. SMH
4/2/2010 6:20 PM CDT on KFDM.com
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girlforgod wrote:
sly, my parents live on Highland, and i don't see all those dilapidated houses you are talking about. my parents have a beautiful home very, very close to family dollar, with a thriving business that has been there for over 30 years, along with her neighbors that have a beautiful homes. do you live in sp? prob not. Alice Keith has been updated and is beautiful, we have many nice multicultural church's that are in the neighborhood, plus a new cafe owned by a white couple that is doing very well. so where are all these crack houses,and dilapidated houses you speak of? do you know the dealers personally? as far as i know crack houses can also be those 3 million dollar homes you see in willowcreek.
4/2/2010 6:18 PM CDT on KFDM.com
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stannous wrote:
Woodrow Reece is a crooked fraud, along with the rest of the board and Doctor Thomas and all should be removed from office immediately and jailed. A nice long time in jail would be the best thing this community has seen in years.
4/2/2010 5:50 PM CDT on KFDM.com
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deanna1973 wrote:
They built P-Mac so that Dr. Thomas's wife would have a nice new school to walk around in and play God. Please the school is not even half full the same as King. The whole area over there has gone to pot. I really am tired of paying the amount of taxes I pay for them to bus kids in from that area to go to Marshall. I pay Marshall and Regina Howell taxes for a reason I live over here! Start taxing the students families that are bused into our school zones the same as us here on this end of town. DOes this man think that if he builds it they will stay please! People always believe the grass is greener on the other side. I for one am tired of flipping the bill!
4/2/2010 11:00 AM CDT on KFDM.com
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herasentme wrote:
Yeah, a district court judge knows nothing about the law, or how to sort through evidence and come to the correct conclusions. A guy who works for the Post Office - HE knows how to do those things.
4/2/2010 10:36 AM CDT on KFDM.com
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jacksass wrote:
just watched a news story on autism, the parents of the child are rodney pete and his wife a famous actress .. both black, both intellegent and well spoken looking to spread the word....i think if more people spent thier time on issues like these rather than saving a highschool , the city ,the state and the world would be a better place....its sad the people of beaumont with the ability and resources cant see the selfishness in what they are attempting when thousands of children die everyday from malnutrition, aids, diseases with no cure and child abuse.....and they squabble over a building. an inanimate fixture in the world of real death and suffering....when will good decent people step up and heal the world instead of push agendas that they and thier cronnies use to pilfer the tax dollars of good americans and line thier own pockets.......i suggest you tear down the old city hall and jail beaumont... its an eyesore and a money dump.....also....
4/2/2010 7:08 AM CDT on KFDM.com
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mousecatsmama wrote:
"we'll get up on the map again as one of the most visited cities and people will want to live here again. It'll be a beautiful day". Look a little south Reece - Beaumont is going the way of Port Arthur - as is Nederland - 10 more years -- it won't be the Golden Triangle - it will be the Ghetto Triangle. Anytime people such as Thomas and Reece get into power - that's the direction things go - DOWN.
4/2/2010 4:44 AM CDT on KFDM.com
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coylin1221 wrote:
well of course he disagrees with Bob's ruling... no body who lied to the public to conduct an act with bond money that the public didn't WANT would EVER admit that they were swindling, two-timing thieves...

and he THAT IS HILARIOUS that he thinks by tearing down South Park they will get more people to come back to the area. Hey, how about you guys work on cleaning up the prostitution on the street corners, the drug dealers that openly sale in the day, and the crumbling homes that litter the area? Maybe then people will feel like it's an Ok area for them to live with their children...

and the moron award goes to...
4/2/2010 12:03 AM CDT on KFDM.com
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keatonies wrote:
Woodrow Reece is an idiot! He could not do a good job as the Nederland Postmaster, much less as Board President of BISD. He has been on that board entirely too long.
4/1/2010 10:58 PM CDT on KFDM.com



KFDM-BISD disagrees with judge