The past three days have been life changing for Hancock County school employees. Superintendent Walter Saunders will have visited every school along with the main kitchen, transportation, and central office to deliver reduction in force letters to our teachers and school service personnel by the end of the day Monday. Through no fault of their own, our school personnel and educators find their futures in shambles. Meanwhile, our students continue to excel in testing, both Oak Glen and Weir High reported progress at the most recent board meeting and we remain committed to our school We also remain vigilant in finding out what really happened.
I repeat the mantra that the Union official told State officials at the first meeting of the takeover: “Transparency is not an option.”
And, the State Board of Education needs to be reminded that not only school employees, but citizens in Hancock County are demanding answers on the progress of any and all investigations into the sleight of hand that became Hancock County’s financial reports and why the State Board did not clue our Board into the failure to use WVEIS, file reports on time or at all and provide numbers that now appear not to be accurate.
When it became apparent that Hancock County might not be able to meet payroll, the State was very quick to point out where errors had been made by our former Treasurer, Joe Campinelli. In the Capital and at meetings, State Board President Paul Hardesty spoke despairingly of our Board and Superintendent. The State Board of Education only looked northward to Hancock County to cast blame, but never did they look inward to see their role in not monitoring the activities that caused this crisis.
The flow of information from the State has stopped. After the name calling, State Board officials have gone silent on any investigation into the former treasurer’s actions. If malfeasance, maladministration or fraud has occurred it’s the State Board’s responsibility to ensure that Federal, State or County prosecutors pursue the charges. They not only need to be reminded that transparency is not an option, they need to remember accountability too is mandated. We deserve answers. And, If prosecution is called for we deserve for it to be pursued.
When I call the State Board of Education, I am directed to Christy Day, public relations director, and get “P R” speak to my questions. This isn’t my first rodeo and I did pr speak during my eleven years as public relations director at Mountaineer Race Track not to mention 8 years in a similar position at West Virginia Northern Community College. I’m also kind of versed in politospeak having spent 11 years in the Legislature honing that craft.
After talking with Ms. Day, I was reminded that there was an “intervention” not an investigation. Since I seem unable to get clear answers to my questions, I submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to the State Board of Education. Here are the questions to which I seek answers:
**Is there an investigation into falsification of numbers by the former treasurer?
**Were fraudulent numbers entered into the spreadsheet that was sent to the State?
**The audit by Tetrow & Bartlett in a separate letter to the State and the County Superintendent brings up non-compliance, late reports or no reports. . Did the State take any action based on that letter.
**Has the State computer utilized by the former treasurer been taken from the site and have any prohibited programs been detected on that computer?
**Will the State Department of Education issue a report on its shortcomings in fulfilling their obligation to oversee Hancock County?
**What investigation, if any, is taking place to uncover exactly what took place in the former treasurer’s failure to report our true financial situation to the Superintendent of Hancock County Schools, the Hancock Board of Education and the State Board of Education.
**Was Hancock County’s financial status misrepresented in figures provided for the excess levy? for the lease agreement to finance the turf and lights at Oak Glen?
Hancock county school employees have had their lives upended. Parents are concerned about their children’s education. Our community is watching to see the impact on not only our schools, but our economy. We deserve to know what actions or infractions were committed to bring us to where we are today.
HOMETOWN NEWS is committed to getting answers.
