May 11, 2011 – Fort Cherry Budget Hearing:
During the presentation of the Cafeteria budget, Director of Support Services, Jeff Marquis, informed the board that 40% of FC children receive free or reduced lunches.
Board member Elmo Cecchetti expressed concern that such a high number may be an indication of possible fraud being committed by residents of the district.
The board would do well to look elsewhere for fraud . . . . .
June 2010:
Fort Cherry school district was in the process of hiring yet another new principal.
That May, former school board member, Victoria Lauff, met with Board President, Brant Miller, and board member, Ray Miller, and presented evidence to these men showing that Superintendent Robert Dinnen had not been honest with the board during his interview and application process. Victoria was a member of the board in 1998 when Dinnen was hired.
When she saw that Fort Cherry was advertising for a new principal, Victoria followed up with an email to Brant Miller containing pertinent information for the Board to consider.
It is believed that this information was not shared with the remaining board members.
From : vmlauff
To : Miller, Brant
Sent : Sun Jun 27 11:00:02 2010
Subject : Jr./Sr. High School Principal applications
Brant,
I see that all applications for the position of Jr./Sr. High School Principal are being handled by the Superintendent of the school district. In light of the fact that I brought to the attention to some board representatives, the evidence that Robert W. Dinnen was not honest with the School Board in 1998, when applying for employment himself with the district then, it appears that the current school board is being inattentive and indifferent to those facts and the problems it faces now.
It is not prudent to have this individual hold others to standards which he does not hold himself to; and it is hypocritical to think that he has the integrity to fulfill this obligation directed by the board. You have seen the facts. You have cause for immediate dismissal and yet, he is authorized to control all resumes, background checks, clearances, professional certifications, letters of interest and whatever else is required by both the commonwealth and Fort Cherry.
I would like to believe that no other school district would permit this and certainly, no legitimate business would either. Don't forget why you were elected-- to protect the best interests of the students, communities, residents and taxpayers of this school district. It is not in the best interest to keep an individual, such as Robert W. Dinnen, as Superintendent of the Fort Cherry School District.
Sincerely,
Vicki Lauff
B. Miller’s response to that email:
From: "Brant Miller"
To: vmlauff
Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 4:20:31 PM
Subject: Re: Jr./Sr. High School Principal applications
Thank you, Vicki. We will take this under advisement.
Brant T. Miller, Esq.
Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C.
May 2011:
· Fort Cherry School District is considering the furlough of 12.5 properly certified teachers and the school nurse.
· Avella Area School District is considering consolidating administrative services by hiring Dinnen as Acting Superintendent.
“Fort Cherry approached Avella, asking if it would like to have its superintendent Robert Dinnen as an acting superintendent. Avella Superintendent Wayde Killmeyer is taking a job in another district this summer. The Fort Cherry proposal calls for Avella to pay $50,000 plus mileage to have Dinnen as acting superintendent and to do some special education work, McConn said. He said the board is not clear on all the details of the proposal, such as how often Dinnen would be in Avella. Those are some of the conversations that need to take place, he said.” – Observer-Reporter, May 12, 2011
It is the board’s obligation to seriously consider the issues presented by Victoria Lauff.
Neglect of duty by this Board could seriously impact Fort Cherry and our neighbors in Avella.
The Board shall act as the general agent of the people of this district in the matter of
public education. It shall establish educational goals for the children of this district
and govern a program of education designed to meet those goals. The Board shall be
responsible for enforcing mandatory laws. The Board shall be the agent responsible
for establishing, maintaining and appraising the public education activities of this
school district in accordance with law.
The powers of the Board of School Directors are not vested in the individual school
director. No such individual is authorized to act on behalf of the Board to carry out
any of the Board's statutorily authorized powers, except for those acts stated in law.
Fort Cherry School District Policy No. 002
SECTION: LOCAL BOARD PROCEDURES
TITLE: AUTHORITY AND POWERS
ADOPTED: March 27, 1995
http://www.fortcherry.org/170310597212240/site/default.asp
Any candidate's misstatement of fact material to qualifications for employment or
the determination of salary shall be considered by this Board to constitute grounds
for dismissal.
Fort Cherry School District Policy No. 302
SECTION: ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEES
TITLE: EMPLOYMENT OFSUPERINTENDENT
/ASSISTANTSUPERINTENDENT
ADOPTED: March 27, 1995
http://www.fortcherry.org/170310597212240/site/default.asp
May 1998:
