Published: July 08, 2008 04:28 pm            

BOE wants investigation at Collins Middle School

FAYETTEVILLE — School board members in Fayette County voted unanimously Friday to recommend an investigation of alleged financial and accounting problems reported in a recent state audit.

“I move that the Fayette County Board of Education adopt the recommendation of the Chief Inspector Division of the state auditor,” board president Peggy Farmer read from a prepared statement following a lengthy executive session during the special board meeting.

Farmer went on to say an independent, third-party, in-depth review by the state auditor’s office was needed at Collins Middle School following the draft report’s allegations of use of unapproved credit cards, a lack of financial records and other accounting problems.

The Oak Hill school’s principal, David Perry, attended the meeting, but was not allowed to respond to the report or the board’s motion and 3-0 vote recommending the investigation. Farmer, Steve Bush and James “Jock” Workman all voted in favor of the motion. Board members David Arritt and Leon Newman were absent.

Perry is now retired after 34 years in the school system.

“I don’t have a problem with the audit,” Perry said. “It’s a 60-page audit and apparently certain persons have attempted to focus in on only me and Collins Middle School.”

Perry pointed to the fact the draft also reports findings at the board’s central office and two other schools in the county.

Farmer said most of the findings in the report were minor and a plan to correct them had been drafted.

“In regard to Collins Middle School, it’s now up to the auditors and the school to work together to clarify any misunderstanding,” she said.

Perry said things he had done for more than 30 years were now being questioned. He says he is most upset at any implication of wrongdoing.

“I guess the real problem I have with it is that for 34 years none of these issues, which have been common practice and procedures, have been called into question and those audits happen every year,” he said. “To imply that I have done something intentionally wrong is hurtful and absolutely not true.”

The draft report, from state Auditor Glen Gainer’s office, stated that adequate supporting documentation was not available for a hotel credit card charge or any documentation or evidence to show that proper board procedures were followed.

Perry claims he provided full and complete information and documentation on the morning of June 23.

“The report was issued on the evening of the 23rd and I have not had a chance to sit down with the auditor or anyone in the board office to discuss and review it,” he said.

Perry, who is also a Democrat member of the House of Delegates, said he announced his retirement Feb. 1, which had nothing to do with the auditor’s report.

“I hate to leave the profession, where I have had an impeccable 34-year career, with what appears to be someone trying to tarnish that,” he said.

Farmer, who left the school board Tuesday after being defeated in the May election, said she didn’t want to leave the school system with some questionable audit reports.

As for Perry’s claim that the investigation was “politically motivated,” Farmer disagreed.

“The school board isn’t that bad,” she said. “This was the recommendation of the auditor’s chief inspector and we adopted that recommendation.”

Perry admits there could be errors or procedure problems at the school, but there was nothing done wrong intentionally.

“What you’re seeing here is that many of the county and the state’s policies and procedures are antiquated,” he said. “One part of the report asked about providing a ledger, but it’s all on computer. I have it on a disk, which I provided, but I’m unable to make a hard copy. I asked for technical assistance on how to get to it and print it, but it has yet to be provided. I can’t make the hard copy available until I get the technical assistance on how to do it.”

The board’s recommendation also calls for Perry to turn over records that have not been previously submitted to the auditor to the school system’s superintendent to facilitate the review. It also recommends giving Perry a chance to comment, clarify and explain the audit findings.

“I hope I get the opportunity to respond and get the information to them that they say is not present when actually it is present,” he said.

William McGinley, general counsel and assistant executive director with the West Virginia Education Association, attended the meeting with Perry.

“There has been an audit of the school each and every year and no issues have been made until this year,” McGinley said. “That is a very important fact that needs to be part of this discussion. At this point, it looks like David Perry is being singled out for some reason.”

— E-mail:

fpace@register-herald.com

        

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