WASHINGTON (Map, News) - An employee in the District of Columbia’s beleaguered special education system was paid as a school employee at the same time he drew salaries from outside companies paid by the schools, documents obtained by The Examiner show.

Teacher’s aide Roy Holbrook signed four years’ worth of time sheets for Alternatives Unlimited Inc. at the same time he claimed he was working for the special education department, according to internal school documents .

After leaving Alternatives Unlimited, Holbrook then began filing time sheets for another school contractor, Integrated Urban Solutions, documents show.

Holbrook did not respond to numerous requests for comment. He has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing.

But the allegations against him, laid out in internal school memos and records, are yet another embarrassment to the city’s stricken schools.

The alleged double-dipping was uncovered after an Examiner investigation revealed that several special education employees were being paid their full salaries months after leaving the school system, costing the public hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It prompted special education officials to review their payroll records, according to one school source.

Special Education Director Marla Oakes reported the scandal to top school officials in March, the documents show. She told the officials that Holbrook’s supervisor, Bettye Jones, continued signing his time sheets without checking them, documents show.

Jones did not respond to requests for comment.

The matter has since been referred to the D.C. inspector general’s office, according to a top school source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because personnel matters are supposed to be confidential.

Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee was briefed on the Holbrook situation Friday. She told The Examiner that she was generally disappointed with the “broken” special education system.

“I have put special education and the revamping of the program at the top of my list,” Rhee said.

“We’re just not functioning effectively.”

Oakes did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did finance office spokeswoman Maryann Young, whose agency is supposed to monitor spending in the schools.

Mary Levy, a schools expert for the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, said she wasn’t surprised by the revelations of widespread payroll turmoil and scandal.

“It has happened many times before, and the automated systems that could make that impossible aren’t there,” Levy said.

Audit after audit have exposed systemic problems in tracking and protecting the public’s money in the $1 billion-plus school system; yet neither the finance office nor the schools have done anything about them, Levy said.

“The way the D.C. government is set up, you don’t know which agency is in charge, let alone which person is responsible,” she said.

D.C. Office of Special Education

» 10,088 students

» $139,632,675 budget

» Director: Marla Oakes

Source: D.C. Public Schools

Got a tip on this topic? Call Bill Myers at 202-459-4956 or e-mail bmyers@dcexaminer.com.

examiNation DC daily question and poll: What do you think about the D.C. school employee who also drew salaries from outside companies?

Comments from Examiner Readers

4:04 PM MST on Mon., Aug. 20, 2007 re: "Teacher�s aide part of schools payroll scandal, documents show"

Examiner Reader said:
The other employees at DCPS are only trying to match Rhee's supersalary any way they can.

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2:36 PM MST on Mon., Aug. 20, 2007 re: "Teacher�s aide part of schools payroll scandal, documents show"

Examiner Reader said:
I agree; start with the most senior employees. If they can't explain and justify their jobs and their jobs don't benefit students, send them packing.

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11:56 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 20, 2007 re: "Teacher�s aide part of schools payroll scandal, documents show"

Examiner Reader said:
If Rhee is to be successful, she will have to cut to the bone. They have this saying at DC schools "And this too will pass". All they have to do is to wait it out. The public will tire of Ms. Rhee's futile efforts, and she will follow the path of the former superintendents. Think about it. Superintendents have changed but not much else-why? If Ms. Rhee replaces every administrator with over 15 years you'll see a more efficient running system. If you always do what you jave always done, you will always get what you have always gotten. Bring in some outside eyes and you will get a different view of things.

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10:09 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 20, 2007 re: "Teacher�s aide part of schools payroll scandal, documents show"

UnfairDC said:
Why take shots at a lowly clerk whe the entire system is rampant with corruption. We all know that if corruption ought to be uprooted it must be exposed from the top and not from the bottom. You really need to expose some topshelf officials and not some two timin' henchmen. This is a great way to take the attention off the real problems. Examiner should be able to see through this. This is disappointing, in 24 hours people won't even remmeber this man's name...

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5:58 AM MST on Mon., Aug. 20, 2007 re: "Teacher�s aide part of schools payroll scandal, documents show"

No wonder... said:
It was stated that Chancellor Rhee went through the building at 825 at knocked on offices doors and chit-chatted with employees. She inquired about what do you actually do for DCPS, to her suprise many at 825 could not tell her...? Well it is apparent one thing for sure if she would have framed her questions...what do you do illegally for DCPS...she would have gotten an earful?

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