The Battalion
STATE & LOCAL
Wednesday, May 2,1990
stLJudge grants extra month to reform school finances
AUSTIN (AP) — A state district
Judge today gave state lawmakers
Vother month to reform school fi
nance, but said he also was appoint
ing a special master to draw up an al
ternate plan in case legislators fail
>g ain - .
Earlier today, Judge Scott
cCown ruled that nearly $500 mil
lion in state education aid cannot be
aid to local school districts as sched-
led on May 25.
But he later said he would allow
Bhat payment to be made and gave
he state until June 1 to develop a
i «iew school finance plan.
, However, McCown said the court
s race will work concurrently with the exec-
ards htive and legislative branches by ap-
^illiant pointing a special master to draw an
incint Equitable school finance plan.
0 j or The court’s plan will go into effect
..Im Sept. 1 if the Legislature doesn’t
. . .Haiave Us own finance plan ready to
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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) —
The manager of apartments near
ton
women
because of a
attempted sexual assaults have
occurred in a three-block strip of
Benge Drive and one block of
•it sea: Bennett Street since July 1986,
police said. The latest one was re
ported to police on Saturday.
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T tell them up front we've had
a lot of rapes on this street,” said
David Newman, who manages a
complex on Benge Drive, "I'd
prefer not to rent to ladies until
this is resolved.”
Two of the assaults occurred at
Newman's complex. Nineteen <»(
his 28 units are now rented by
men, he said.
Arlington police said patrols
will be beefed up in light of the
latest assault, which occurred
about 5:15 a.m, Saturday.
The 42-year-old victim said a
man entered her apartment
through an unlocked door and
attempted to assault her.
The attack was foiled because
the woman’s daughter and
andson heard the suspect, who
.y ..ad put his hand over the wom-
veral ] an’s mouth. The man fled upon
hearing their screams,
Arlington police detective Jim
Ford said he is not certain that ail
the attacks are related.
“We’re keeping an open mind
to that possibility,” Ford said.
. ...oj don't want to get tunnel vi-
ie fore s ion or be incorrect by saying this
of is a serial rapist. At the same time,
we’re not going to rule anything
Statin hut.
a. Newman said his openness
' . about the assaults may cost him
,<)vcra tenants, but he fears another at-
kMan tack will occur,
nade
“I really try to drive it into their
ads,” he said. ‘Tf’s not worth
takinj^ the chance of getting
Campus police officials at OTA
aid they have not issued any
t too Is warnings to students, but added
is runt# hat the campus newspaper has
jiven the cases extensive public-
stuffo P
take effect, McCown said.
“The present scheme of public
school finance is a great wrong,” he
said. “The poor have waited for too
long.”
State officials had asked for a 50-
day delay to give lawmakers and
Gov. Bill Clements more time to
work out a school finance reform
plan.
The special legislative session —
the second one called on education
— ended shortly before noon as the
House and Senate sent Clements a
$555 million school reform plan and
a half-cent sales tax increase that the
governor pledged to veto.
With the current 30-day session at
an end, House Speaker Gib Lewis
said Clements would call lawmakers
into another special session at 2 p.m.
Wednesday.
McCown’s ruling will allow the
state’s payments for May to go out to
the school districts. No other school spending — in-
He solicited nominations for the eluding local funds and federal aid
special master, who will be named — is affected by McCown’s ruling,
later.
We expect every school district in Texas to stay
open. Any district that attempted to shut down would
immediately receive accreditation sanctions from the
Texas Education Agency.”
William Kirby,
education commissioner
McCown said the disparity be
tween property-rich and -poor dis
tricts is such that the richest school
system has $14 million in property
valuation per student —compared to
$20,000 per student for the poorest
district.
Earlier today, state officials said
they believed schools could remain
open at least until late May, when
the $500 million monthly aid pay
ment was due to go out.
Education Commissioner William
Kirby said the court’s ruling will not
force schools to close or halt teacher
paychecks.
“We expect every school district in
Texas to stay open,” Kirby said.
“Any district that attempted to
shut down would immediately re
ceive accreditation sanctions from
the Texas Education Agency.”
And, Kirby added, “(Attorney)
General (Jim) Mattox has assured
me that he will go into court and
seek action against any district that
attempts to close.”
McCown also said the state can
pay the $2.7 million payroll for
Texas Education Agency employees
that had been held up pending his
ruling.
Today’s hearing was held after
the Legislature and Clements dead
locked over a reform plan, which
was ordered in a 9-0 Texas Supreme
Court ruling last year.
The high court said the $13.5 bil-
lion-a-year system is unfair to prop
erty-poor school districts and or
dered that a reform plan be enacted
by today.
James Vasquez, superintendent of
the Edgewood Independent School
District which filed the lawsuit that
started the reform case, said he was
disappointed that no plan had been
enacted.
“I’m severely disappointed, very
much so,” Vasquez said. “After a 9-0
court decision, one supposes that’s a
clear mandate for change. The Leg
islature did its foot-dragging and
now the governor is doing his foot-
dragging. So this could go on ad
nauseam.”
The Democratic-controlled Legis
lature proposed a $555 million re
form plan and a half-cent sales tax
increase to fund it.
Coast Guard recruits cadets from 5 schools
A&M joins new direct
commissioning program
By SUZANNE CALDERON
Of The Battalion Staff
It just got easier for Texas A&M
Corps of Cadets members interested
in being commissioned into the
United States Coast Guard.
A&M is one of five schools nation
wide selected to participate in the Se
lected Schools/ROTC Direct Com
mission Program by the U.S. Coast
Guard.
Cadets recruited directly into the
Coast Guard usually undergo a 17-
week training period. With the new
program, the training period is re
duced to a two-week orientation
course.
“The Coast Guard considers the
training (cadets) have gotten
through the Corps, both through
mandatory ROTC classes as well as
leadership aspects, to make up that
other 15 weeks,” Maj. Mark Satterw-
hite, Corps recruiting coordinator,
said.
Graduating seniors in the Corps
who apply for direct commissioning
in the Coast Guard are commis
sioned as officers and are obligated
to serve three years of active duty.
A&M was selected to participate
in the program primarily because of
its four-year Corps program.
“It’s not a once-a-week program,
but an intensive four-year pro
gram,” Satterwhite said. “The Corps
is a lifestyle at A&M.”
Praire View A&M, The Citadel,
Norwich University and Virginia
Military Institute are the other
schools participating in the pro
gram.
One reason for the direct commis
sioning program is the Coast Guard
is expanding its program and its of
ficer needs are increasing, Satterw
hite said.
“The Coast Guard’s mission is ex
panding to include environmental
clean-up missions, as well as drug
trafficking missions,” he said.
Satterwhite said a newly commis
sioned ensign earns about $24,000 a
year plus benefits.
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Photo by Scott D. Weaver
A construction worker from Diamond Construction of Abilene welds support beams to the struc
ture of what will soon be the extension of the Langford Architecture Center late Tuesday.
UT suspends frats for racism
AUSTIN (AP) — Two fraternities at the University
of Texas have been suspended for one year, and each
group will be required to perform 1,200 hours of com
munity service because of their involvement in racial in
cidents in April, UT-Austin Dean of Students Sharon
Justice announced Tuesday.
Delta Tau Delta and Phi Gamma Delta also will be re
quired to take part in “multicultural training” from now
through the 1994-95 school year and to participate in
chapter development activities, Justice said.
Suspension of the fraternities as campus organiza
tions means they will not be allowed to reserve the use
of university facilities; participate in intramural sports;
raise funds on the campus; sponsor or take part in any
campus performances or other events; publicly assem
ble or demonstrate; install a booth or post signs on the
campus.
The penalties were assessed after an investigation
into racial incidents associated with this year’s “Round-
Up,” an annual event, the university said. Racial slurs
were found painted on a car at the Delta Tau Delta fra
ternity house after the “Round-Up” parade April 6 ,
and racial caricatures were found on T-shirts at the Phi
Gamma Delta house April 7.
Justice said it was determined that the fraternities
had violated a UT-Austin rule that prohibits actions
that are “inimical to the educational purpose and work
of the university.”
The incidents sparked student protest rallies, and the
fraternities were placed on interim suspension pending
the investigation.
“I have tried to design the penalty so that it is appro
priate for the offenses that were committed in these
cases,” Justice said. “I certainly believe punishment is
justified, but I do not want my decision merely to be pu
nitive, but also to be educational.”
A separate investigation of individuals involved in
the racial incidents is still going on, and should take a
week to 10 days to complete. Justice said.
“I
I certainly believe punishment is
justified, but I do not want my decision
merely to be punitive, but also to be
educational.”
—Sharon Justice,
dean of students
The 1,200 hours of community service to be per
formed during the next 12 months must “emphasize
exposure to the needs and accomplishments of African-
Americans in Austin,” she said. Each fraternity member
must perform at least five hours of the community serv
ice.
Each member and pledge must participate in 20
hours of “approved multicultural training” during the
next 12 months, she said.
Justice said if the educational and service activities
are completed by April 30, 1991, she would reinstate
the fraternities but they would be on probation for an
other year.
Attorney calls client ‘loser’,
says tree poisoning lacks motive
AUSTIN (AP) — The attorney
for the man accused of poisoning
an historic Austin tree last year
Tuesday called his client a “loser”
who told “outrageous lies.”
Terry Kirk, defense attorney
for Paul Stedman Cullen, told a
jury of seven women and five
men that the state will not be able
to prove that Cullen had a motive
for poisoning the tree, and that
there is no evidence that the poi
soning was related to the occult.
, Although police and prosecu
tors have never detailed the sus
pected motive, Cullen’s arrest
warrant alleged the poisoning
was part of a “ritual.”
The Austin American-States-
man reported before Cullen’s ar
rest that a suspect in the case was
trying to cast a spell in a romantic
matter.
Cullen, 46, of Elroy, has en
tered an innocent plea to charges
that he poured the herbicide Vel-
par around the base of the his
toric Treaty Oak, where Stephen
F. Austin, according to legend,
signed a treaty with the Indians in
the 1800s.
If convicted, Cullen could be
sentenced to life in prison be
cause of a prior burglary convic
tion.
Travis County District Attor
ney LaRu Woody said in her
opening statement that the state
would present several days of
technical testimony, then turn to
the investigation that resulted in
Cullen’s indictment.
“I think you will hear testi
mony from an individual who
came forward and identified Paul
Cullen,” said Woody.
Woody also said that tapes of a
conversation police recorded by
planting a “wire” on the witness
would reveal Cullen’s motives.
“I think you’ll hear testimony
on his interest in the occqlt, par
ticularly in magic circles,” said
Moody. “I think this tape will
make clear to you the defendant’s
reaction to and motives for the
poisoning.”
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