My concerns with the Community School have always focussed on the unfairness of the fact that resources from one program were being used to subsidize another program. Tax dollars intended for K-12 classes, the profits on drivers education, building rentals, were all being used to effectively subsidize pool operations. The recent audit supported those concerns.
I don't think anybody was receiving any personal gain from this diversion of funds. Which is why the many comments received inferring such activity are rarely published, and frequently removed (in case I missed them the first time!).
There's an interesting letter in the CCT from a COTUIT engineer who uses the pool and volunteered to do an energy study of it. I saw his report -- but I never saw any "suggestions" to save $200,000 --- I am pretty sure I would have remembered that!
It's funny how many people from other towns are fighting over the pool issue. I'm not sure why they think Sandwich taxpayers should be contributing to reduce the cost of their dip in our pool.
9 comments:
I saw the CCT letter too. Its beyond silly and its author clearly did not bother to read the actual audit report.
The truth is this:
The Town paid a public accounting firm to audit the Community School and the audit detected a number of serious accounting and financial reporting irregularities including mis stated revenues and expenses.
In addition, the independent audit reported that certain managerial controls specific to the awarding of contracts were so lax and or non existent as to imply illegality.
Apparantly, no Town Officer or Department is responsible for following up and documenting resolution of negative audit reports like this one.
Does the Town Manager have no authority or responsibility? Who knows?
Does the Board of Selectmen have no authority or responsibility? Who knows?
Is there a Town Comptroller or Auditor who has jurisdiction and responsibility? Who knows?
How can the Town receive an audit report that actually uses the word "illegal" in the report and no action or hearings result?
Where's the Town Manager?
Where's the Board of Selectmen?
Where's the Finance Committee?
I cant think of a more alarming word to report in an audit than "illegal" and yet no one seems to think this report matters.
Wow.
The School Committee first and formost should be alarmed about the results of the audit. It seems they are not. If the Chair and Vice Chair not doing the legal due diligence in regard to the grave situation, than any other member of the committee has a right to continue to bring this issue up in their meetings. If they are not, we loose valuable allies for the citizens of the town.
It seems that some on the SC for whatever reason, by their actions thus far since May clearly do not have an understanding of what their responsibility is to the town. However the committee as a whole is made up of individuals who are Sandwich citizen's first line of defense against mismanagement, graft, or whatever threatens the financial stability of our town.
The Community School is part of the School District. The town manager and the board of selectman do not have any rights to micro-manage the school district. A working relationship between the SC and BOS is left up to the two chairs or to traditions such as joint meetings that motivate discussion.
The political will to do anything about the audit seems to me to lie within the SC. Citizens can advocate for action, but it seems to me that this is up to the Superintendant, the School Business Manager and the School Committee.
Why isnt the Attorney General investigating why the comunity school was illegaly paying invoices?
it seems like a huge conflict if marshall and crossman were on the community school board for years and now they are overseeing he audit as school committee members. especially since crossman also getsa paycheck from the pool -- the program at the center of the controversey.
Anyone can make a complaint to the Attorney General and the Ethics Commission. I agree that the SC is being at the least irresponsible and the worst shirking their legal duty. Small town political mistakes and graft often get overlooked it seems. The dysfunction that poor leadership enables is being played out in Sandwich to it's height right now. The Community School staff feels the audit didn't find anything major either. Where is their responsibility and where is the responsibility of the Business Manager for the School District. A lack of integrity seems to be the order of the day.
A few people should make complaints to the A.G. Ethics comm. and along with your complaint refer them to the audit report on the Comm. School and mentioned the term "illegal" was used to describe some of the money practices. Explain how each member is conflicted especially Marshall and Crossman history w school and Exec counsel that was disbanded due to their incompetance overseeing the monies over the years. Sherry Marshall is up to her eye balls in this mess and protecting the future of the comm school too. Complaint forms are online very easy form to fill out.
Here are a few ways to contact the Attorney Generals office. By phone, call Public Inquiry & Assistance Center at 617-727-8400. On the web go to www.mass.gov/ago or an easy way to access information about reporting is read the latest AG newsletter at agonewsletter@state.ma.us
Im so suprised at the apathy that seems to have taken over Sandwich. Sandwich used to be a educated, take action to help one another, what's happened in the past few years? It is time for everyone to stop counting on everyone else to do something, we all need to band together and send a strong message to this dysfunctional board. Stand up for the sake of your children's educations!
We need to tell them to deal NOW with the 3 million deficit, Make all the changes suggested in the audit recommendations to the Comm. school or shut it down til you do! Resolve the Super contract and stop the lawsuit asap. 3 huge issues and their still talking about copier contracts. email the a.g. office see above info!
There is strength in numbers and now where the boards are concerned it is every man for himself. I agree something has changed in the past couple of years. It feels like Town Government is going down the tubes. Where folks are concerned, who wants to get involved with a food fight, and that is how many see the SC. People don't want to be sucked into other people's stuff.
Not to mention parents and others are very aware that they or their children are very likely to be bullied, abused, and harrassed if they take a stand against the backroom stuff and the dysfunction of the SC which makes the union happy. People have been harrassed by email and phone calls from officials, a SC member, teachers, and others, when an independant or balanced view is taken. The level of subtle and not so subtle harrassement by some is pathetic, sad, and beyond belief. The witch hunt continues.
Apathy.......I could take it or leave it.
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