The Board recognizes its responsibility to the taxpayers of the district to be sure that public monies expended by the school district are utilized for the furtherance of pupil education in a manner that will ensure full value to the taxpayers, and that adequate constraints and records are established to ensure that end.
The Board has the authority and responsibility to prepare the budget, approve bids and pass upon each expenditure of the district.
FORT CHERRY SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY No. 601
SECTION: FINANCES
TITLE: OBJECTIVES
ADOPTED: March 27, 1995
During the spring budget hearings, Dinnen stated that the $10,000 allotted in the budget for football uniforms would be cut. Also in attendance at the budget hearing:
· Paul Sroka, FC Business Manager
· Brant Miller, Board President and member of the Quarterback Club
· Ray Miller, Board Member and member of the Quarterback Club
All of them were aware that the order had been placed months earlier, most likely as early as January.
At the date of the meeting, the uniforms were already in the midst of the manufacturing process, well past the cut-off date for cancellation
Sroka and the Millers were allegedly involved in the ordering process from the beginning. None of them spoke up at the meeting to correct Dinnen's promise to cut the uniform money from the budget.
Instead of taking responsibility for placing an order without board approval, Sroka chose to deny that an order had been placed. Dinnen and the Millers went along with the deception.
The uniforms arrived at the school at 2:58 p.m., just shy of the 3:00 quitting time for non-administrative staff.
Had the uniforms arrived after 3:00, it is feasible that they would have been accepted and not "returned".
Because they did arrive before 3:00, and were received by non-administrative staff, someone had to be held responsible.
Sroka blamed the Athletic Director for the error. Absurd, considering the Athletic Director would never be given the authority to place a verbal order without authorization from Dinnen or Sroka.
In addition, board member Jamie White let it slip at the August 22 board meeting that the uniforms actually cost $13,000.
PA Municipal Law mandates that purchases of over $10,000 must go out for bid.
24 P.S. § 8-807.1
Title 24 P.S. Education
Chapter 1. Public School Code of 1949 (Refs & Annos)
Article VIII. Books, Furniture and Supplies
§ 8-807.1. Purchase of supplies
(a) All furniture, equipment, textbooks, school supplies and other appliances for the use of the public schools, costing ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more shall be purchased by the board of school directors only after due advertisement as hereinafter provided. Supplies costing ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more shall be purchased by the board of school directors only after public notice has been given by advertisement once a week for three (3) weeks in not less than two (2) newspapers of general circulation. In any district where no newspaper is published, said notice may, in lieu of such publication, be posted in at least five (5) public places.
Fort Cherry District Policy mandates that competitive bids must be obtained when required by law.
It is the policy of the Board to obtain competitive bids for products and services where such bids are required by law or where such bids may be believed to bring about a cost saving to the school district.
FORT CHERRY SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY No. 610
SECTION: FINANCES
TITLE: PURCHASES SUBJECT TO BID
ADOPTED: March 27, 1995
School boards do not have the authority to override municipal law.
As discussed in previous posts, the board, under Dinnen and Sroka’s guidance, appears to have no problem ignoring PA municipal law (PA school code) when it suits them. It comes as no surprise that the uniforms were never advertised for bid.
To review:
ü The uniforms were ordered without board approval.
ü The uniforms were ordered without going out for bid.
In the August 25 article that appeared in the Observer-Reporter, Sroka claims:
"Century Sports, the vendor, was notified in April when funding issues arose and an oral cancellation was called in to Ripon Athletics, but the order was accidentally processed."
Paul Sroka, FC Business Manager
An oral cancellation?
Sroka made a phone call to cancel a $13,000 custom order?!
Shouldn’t he have followed up with an e-mail or written direction to cancel such an order - just to make sure that it was understood and there was “no room for miscommunication”?
Shouldn’t the board have requested proof that an attempt to cancel the order was made?
Furthermore, if board member Chris Lauff had not challenged the $10,000 allotted for the uniforms in the first place, would any “attempt” have been made to cancel the order?
Sroka claims the uniforms were "cancelled" in April because funding issues arose; the very funding issues that the administration exploited to furlough dedicated teachers and eliminate vital programs.
However, despite the funding issues, our tax dollars were spent on the following expenditures in April, May, and June:
· Administrative Travel and Expenses. These expenditures were not discussed in public and were not approved separately by the board.
- Hilton, New York City: $9502.74
- Enterprise Rent-a-Car: $703.84
- Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia: $4,406.40
· The public was informed of board member Bruce Sharpnack’s trip to attend the National School Boards Association’s Annual Conference (April 9-11) in San Francisco, after the fact. This trip was not pre-approved by the board.
This article from the Observer-Reporter states the board-approved amount for seminars and conferences. Keep in mind that the Observer contacts Sroka for FC information reported in the Meeting Roundup. Since the publication of this article, the cost of seminars and conferences has been increased to $900.
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Meeting roundup
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Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA)-July 23, 2009
Fort Cherry School Board
* Date: July 20
* Action: Directors gave approval for board members and administrators to attend seminars and conferences during the 2009-10 school year as long as the cost does not exceed $800. If the cost is more than $800, it must be approved separately by board.
* Discussion: If the weather cooperates, the high school roof project should be complete before the Aug. 11 deadline.
The earthwork has been completed on the practice field.
* Next meeting: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17 in the elementary center library
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Under Dinnen and Sroka’s direction, the district cut vital programs, dedicated teachers, bus runs, and bus drivers because “funding issues arose”; all of which affect our children.
At the same time, gratuitous expenses for administrators and board members were approved for payment.
As stated in FC District Policy 601, the board is entrusted with our tax dollars to educate our children.
Where’s the accountability?
The Board recognizes its responsibility to the taxpayers of the district to be sure that public monies expended by the school district are utilized for the furtherance of pupil education in a manner that will ensure full value to the taxpayers, and that adequate constraints and records are established to ensure that end.
FORT CHERRY SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY No. 601
