November 12, 2009

 

JASPER --- The New York State Comptroller's audit report says the Jasper-Troupsburg School District made budgetary mistakes that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
     Thursday night, more than 100 people showed up to a public meeting demanding an explanation from the school board and the superintendent.
     The very first line of the audit states: “The Board and District officials did not protect the District's financial interests from waste and abuse.”
     Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found things like poor oversight, improper payments to administrators, failure to claim medicare reimbursements, and inaccurate budgets.
     While most residents requested more transparency within the school district, others were curious about some specifics in the report they call, insulting.
     Superintendent Chad Groff says there are a lot of misunderstandings he tried to clear up.
     “The draft audit was even more inflammatory and had more innuendos than that one does,” he told a concerned resident.
     “And the remark in there that the residents aren't smart enough to understand that? Why didn’t you have that taken out,” the resident asked.
     Superintendent Groff said he tried but was unsuccessful.
     The audit examined budgeting practices from 2006 through this year.
     Many of the mistakes were made under the former superintendent John DiTondo.
     He came out to the meeting to stand up for the current board members and himself.
     “I want to say to you, the people who work here are hard workers, they are dedicated and they are looking out for your interest,” DiTondo told the crowd. “I also came here to defend my integrity.”
     The school district has 90 days to submit a Corrective Action Plan to the state.
     It has until next school year to implement it, but Superintendent Groff says changes are already being made in the district.