Northwest ISD trusted committee member/broker $621,500 too much

by PegNews wire

Baucum clearly did not THINK OF THE CHILDREN when the deal went down.

A former member of Northwest ISD's Long Range Planning Committee may have pulled a (legal) fast one on the district.

Taking into account the district's rapid growth, the committee arranged to buy some land for a new high school. Committee member Bruce Baucum served as broker on the land purchase, but unknown to the school district, his boss at Crocker Capital (who also own Patterson and Associates Commercial Real Estate) bought the land just days before the deal for nearly $5,000 an acre less than he sold to the district. Northwest ISD only discovered the discrepancy after FBI agents notified the district of an investigation into the deal.

While the FBI found nothing illegal, the district is upset. Northwest ISD claims that it did not have the land's value assessed before the deal because it trusted Baucum. It has since asked Crocker Capital to refund the district $621,500, though the return is unlikely since no laws were broken.

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jefmelch, says:

The "Long Range Planning Committee" was developed for Northwest ISd by then superintendent V. Keith Sockwell. Mr Sockwell also recruited local realtor -- and schools booster -- Bruce Baucum to that committee.

The Texas Education Code http://law.onecle.com/texas/education...

http://www.region10.org/administrator...

mandates a district committee to develop plans and specifies the composition of such committees. Many districts ignore that requirement. A circle of insiders, instead, is empowered to develop plans that better support the local construction industry than those plans aid education.

Since leaving Northwest, Sockwell has joined with architectural planners SHW and publicist Scott Milder to spread the idea of "strategic planning" -- outside the mandates process -- to other school districts. SHW has basically franchised an operation under the brand name of "Cambridge"

(Sockwell attempted to hire SHW in 2001 for Northwest ISD to investigate their prior construction contractor. That effort failed, but by 2002 Sockwell had sold the voters of the community a huge bond, let the contract to SHW, built the district a gigantic football stadium, accomplished cosmetic "renovations" and "expansions" of actual school buildings and persuaded NISD trustees to offer him a raise.)

http://www.texashsfootball.com/board/...

http://www.shwgroup.com/portfolio/hig...

SHW/Cambridge, Sockwell and Milder are now selling bond-election, construction and, incidentally and as a by-product, educational planning services to customers such as Larry Lewis and Ed Kirkland of Lancaster ISD.

The Lancaster contract, in the first year, will cost the school system just over $100,000. The Trustees have already been told if they do not follow up with multi-year services later, at a price that remains unspecified, that first year funding will be wasted.

The Lancaster long-range planning committee held their first session Friday, November 14th.

Anonymous

1 year ago
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garthalgar, says:

Below are a couple of follow ups to the original story. Doesn't sound like Baucum did anything unethical or illegal...sounds more like irresponsibility on the part of NW ISD as it relates to the deal as well as their eagerness to publically criticize Baucum and his boss. The NW ISD owes Baucum and his boss a personal and public apology.

http://www.star-telegram.com/schools/...

http://www.star-telegram.com/225/stor...

Anonymous

1 year ago
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jefmelch, says:

Agreed. The FBI investigated and found no illegal acts. No money stolen. Not even an overt lie told.

All it took to line his pockets with money the taxpayers intended for children in classrooms was just a personal betrayal of trust.

Anonymous

1 year ago
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garthalgar, says:

jefmelch, I'm not sure I understand your post. If Baucum wasn't representing the district in the transaction then where was the personal betrayal of trust? As more facts come out, it seems a little odd that the district is upset considering they apparently knew what was happening. I still don't see why this is a story, but you sound like you know more so perhaps you could elaborate.