Nov 1, 2019 3 min read

Findings from a state performance audit confirmed that Belle Vernon Area School District applied best practices in the area of finance and complied with recommendations made by the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General.

The audit, which covered the period July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2017, was posted online Monday by Auditor General Eugene A. DePasquale.

During the BVA board of education meeting Monday, board member Joe Grata read a statement on behalf of the board in response to the audit. According to Grata, the findings confirm that “six members of the board, a majority, did not act recklessly in investigating questionable activities and fulfilling public responsibilities” that ultimately led to the resignation of former BVA Superintendent John W. Wilkinson on May 7, 2018.

“While the auditor general’s office has cited two ‘major findings,’ the report addresses violations of board policy, salary discrepancies, improper tuition payments and paybacks, unapproved pay raises and failure to conduct performance evaluations,” said Grata. “Since the appointment of Dr. Michele Dowell as acting superintendent, and her subsequent hiring as permanent superintendent, all recommendations made in the report have been carried out or are in the process of compliance.”

Grata added that a majority of board members was prepared to suspend Wilkinson with pay and initiate a private investigation of allegations when he chose to resign.

“His resignation was accepted when it was deemed to be in the best interest of the school district to resolve the situation in this manner,” said Grata, who served as board president in 2016 and 2017.

In the audit, DePasquale said BVA applied best practices and compiled with certain relevant state laws, regulations, contracts and administrative procedures except for two findings. The auditor general’s office found that administrator salary increases were arbitrarily awarded without board approval and without performance evaluations.

In addition, the auditor general’s office found that the district did not comply with the tuition reimbursement requirements of its Act 93 agreement.

Grata said the current board has made and will continue to make overall changes, as well as raise accountability and oversight of finances, policy, operations and administration.

“The community and school district can be assured that we and a new administration team are committed to eliminate questionable, counterproductive past practices and lead Belle Vernon Area School District to a promising, viable future,” said Grata, who noted that the performance audit is now available for viewing on BVA’s website.

Also, during the meeting, Daneen Watson, president of the Belle Vernon Area Education Association (BVAEA), read a statement about the state of contract negotiations between the teacher’s union and the district. BVAEA’s contract expired June 30, 2019.

Watson said since negotiations started last January, BVAEA has met with the district nine times and both sides have agreed to multiple tentative agreements. However, Watson said those agreements have no financial impact on the district and urged the board to “tackle the big issues (with) the financial impacts.”

“While we acknowledge that there was a counterproposal that was put across the board, it had little impact or significance in moving us closer to a tentative agreement,” said Watson.