Madam President,
There is a festering decay bordering on corruption eating away at UASD and it started with a disciplinary action over two years ago.
Dr. Wesley Doll was the Superintendent when this disciplinary incident happened. The district hired outside counsel to investigate this incident, which found the district’s actions were validated but within months Dr. Doll resigned as our Superintendent, a position he had held for over a decade. His dedicated service was quashed as he became the first victim of this decay. I personally witnessed you at the Tyrone voting station last November expressing your satisfaction that you played a role in Dr. Doll’s departure.
When the investigation’s adjudication was presented to the board the then board president voted in favor. At this year’s re-organization meeting he lost his role as president, becoming the second victim of this decay.
Shortly after Dr. Doll’s departure Mr. Phil Plank publicly yelled at an administrator that “she’s next” or words to that effect. It has now come to my attention that he has filed a complaint against that administrator. Again, the district is investigating the allegation with outside counsel and again the taxpayers will foot the bill. The public should pay close attention to see what this step will cost and whether this administrator becomes a victim of this decay.
The next example of this decay is the dental contract. No reasonable person could possibly think the ridiculous discussions for the second year in a row on the dental contract have anything to do with money or dental health. The real reason is that the hygienist who has been successfully performing on this contract for years is married to the Middle School principal who had a part in the above-mentioned disciplinary action. The board spent 45 minutes arguing over a contract worth 0.026% of expenditures. You expressed your support for different contractors who didn’t provide contract level specific pricing and one provided nothing in writing. The board finally settled on the current contractor while cutting the contract value to $2,000 per year.
You so stridently try to convince the public of your fiscal prowess but a cursory look at district finances tells a different story. For instance, you spent extended time on a $7,200 dental contract yet no questioning is evident as to why legal fees from the district’s solicitor have cumulatively been $29,455 in the last four billings compared to $7,871 in the previous four, a 374% increase. To this spike in solicitor fees add $25,000 to investigate the disciplinary incident, $11,022 to hire a search firm to find our new Superintendent and whatever the latest investigation will cost and the argument about saving money on the dental contract falls apart.
Why solicitor fees have so drastically increased is an interesting question but for another day.
You and the board place disproportionate emphasis on trivial issues while issues related to students and major contracts that control the outcome of this school district do not get their due attention.
Three administrators and one of their own colleagues have resigned yet there has been no questioning as to why these dedicated public servants are leaving.
The resignation of Shelley Hobbs is a serious blow to the district. She has forgotten more about public school finances than you and the board will collectively ever know.
You and the board are not being attentive to conditions in the district. This decay coupled with the impending end to the teachers’ contract in 14 days has demoralized the teaching staff of our school district and you either don’t see that or don’t care.
To lead one must possess wisdom, virtue and earn the trust of those to be led. You lack all three.
You and the board are currently failing yourselves, the district and the community. You can either change or continue being part of this festering decay. Without change, failure will be your legacy. You and the board must choose between failure or change. There is no a third option.
