The Austin Independent School District (AISD) has been rocked by the news that their chief financial officer, Eduardo Ramos, has been placed on leave after allegedly being arrested on insurance fraud charges. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Ramos, 51, was booked on July 31st at 9:03 a.m. with AISD PD being the arresting agency. Ramos’s bail was set at $5,000, and he was released on a surety bond on August 1st. The Round Rock Police Department also issued a warrant for Ramos‘ arrest on insurance fraud charges.
In response to these developments, AISD announced last Friday that Ramos had been placed on leave in a brief statement on the district’s website. It was revealed that Ramos had submitted his resignation from AISD on Tuesday, July 23rd, with his last day scheduled for Friday, August 16th. However, Superintendent Matías Segura made the decision to place Mr. Ramos on leave on July 31, 2024.
To fill the void left by Ramos, Superintendent Segura appointed Ms. Katrina Montgomery as the Interim Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Montgomery has been with the district for three years, serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Finance. Prior to her time at AISD, she held positions such as interim VP of Administration and Finance and Controller at Houston-Tillotson University.
In response to inquiries about the situation, AISD provided a statement to CBS Austin. The district made it clear that the arrest of Ramos did not involve any alleged criminal activity related to his work on behalf of AISD or with any AISD staff, faculty, or students. They highlighted the fact that an external third-party auditor conducts an annual audit of AISD’s finances, which is submitted to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and made available to the public on their website. Additionally, the AISD Board of Trustees‘ auditor conducts annual audits of various divisions of the district, including recent audits of procurement and payroll. The district stated that they are working with the board to develop a plan for any further reviews deemed necessary.
The news of Ramos‘ arrest and subsequent leave from AISD has undoubtedly caused shockwaves throughout the district. As the situation continues to unfold, the district remains committed to transparency and accountability in their financial operations. With Ms. Montgomery stepping into the role of Interim Chief Financial Officer, AISD is working to ensure that the district’s financial affairs continue to be managed effectively and responsibly.