The superintendent of the DeSoto (Texas) district has been reinstated after a tumultuous week of uncertainty about who is leading the school system.
The Dallas Morning News reports that at a specially called meeting Sunday, board members voted unanimously to rescind the voluntary resignation of D’Andre Weaver.
The decision capped days of uproar that included Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath’s appointment of a state conservator to oversee DeSoto schools after an investigation into the district found financial mismanagement, lavish spending and possible fraud under a previous administration.
Weaver probably won’t have the final say in all operations because the state-appointed conservator will have various duties, including helping the district form a corrective action plan and directing the board on personnel issues.
It’s unclear whether that means the state’s conservator — A.J. Crabill, a former Texas Education Agency deputy commissioner of education for governance — will have the authority to decide who is DeSoto’s superintendent.
Weaver had signaled he was stepping down Aug. 30 when, in a split vote, trustees approved accepting his resignation after two years as superintendent.
At Sunday’s meeting, board members also voted to rescind Don Hooper’s appointment as acting superintendent. Hooper submitted a resignation letter and that he will no longer work for the district.
Hooper came under fire for social media posts that some in the community found to be racist. The posts disparaged Black activist and former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, mocked Democrats on the day a summary of the Mueller report was released by saying they “haven’t been this mad at Republicans since we freed their slaves,” and dismissed the idea of racial identity.
On Wednesday, Morath had announced Crabill’s appointment as conservator.. By Thursday, Weaver said he didn’t sign his voluntary resignation paperwork and intended to remain with the district.
DeSoto’s instability began in February 2018 when former Superintendent David Harris was placed on leave as the board launched an investigation into his administration. Harris resigned that April.
Since then, Weaver and the board have tried to untangle the district’s finances that they said led to a $21.6 million budget shortfall, layoffs and a campus closure.
But in mid-August, Texas Education Agency investigators recommended that the state step in, saying that the school board failed to address problems when they were presented.
