Former Harvey Superintendent Pleads Guilty to Official Misconduct

Former West Harvey-Dixmoor Elementary District 147 Superintendent, Alex Boyd Jr., 67, was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty to two counts of official misconduct for stealing $78,000. Boyd was originally charged with 20 felony counts of theft and official misconduct. He was accused of stealing approximately $500,000 by making unauthorized purchases and withdrawals from a school district-funded life insurance policy, receiving unauthorized cash to purchase a tax-exempt annuity, and being paid for vacation and sick days that he did not have. Boyd’s defense attorneys contended that his actions were permitted under his contract with the school district. Felony charges were also filed against former board secretary Mable Chapman alleging that she helped Boyd steal from the district. Today, those charges were dropped.

The investigation regarding Boyd’s actions started in 2005, when the Chicago Tribune reported school board members spent $100,000 on travel and restaurants. It was later discovered that the district could not account for or misspent $2.2 million dollars in grant money. The state’s attorney then seized the district’s financial records and searched Boyd’s home.

In Boyd’s final years as superintendent, he was paid a salary of approximately $250,000. He retired in 2011 and was given a $192,000 a year pension, which is the fifth highest pension for a retiring public school teacher or administrator in Illinois.

Former Harvey schools chief gets probation for misconduct, theft of $78,000, www.chicagotribune.com, September 19, 2014 School board beefed up pension, pay for ex-superintendent now facing criminal charges, www.chicagotribune.com, September 25, 2012