A few months ago, the DMN broke the news (right before the big school bond election, if I recall correctly) that DISD board chairman Jack Lowe’s company TDIndustries, has earned about $9 million in fees from DISD during his board tenure. Not surprisingly, that revelation — along with some other DMN suggestions of possible ethics conflicts — caused DISD’s board to set up a subcommittee to address the issue. The response? The subcommittee recommended toughening the disclosure regulations, according to the DMN, requiring trustees to file proper disclosures and not vote on items on which they have conflicts, but not preventing companies such as Lowe’s from contracting with DISD. Some of the subcommittee members said the proposal goes far enough, pointing out that it’s difficult enough to entice quality candidates to run for the school board. But trustee Carla Ranger, a Dallas County Community College District employee (DCCCD also contracts with DISD), still says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. The full board is expected to consider the proposal during the next month.
