The title is a line from The Tragedy of MacBeth, or for those who wish to be more contemporary the title of a Ray Bradbury novel, and even a short story by Agatha Christie. I remember the soliloquy memorized all those years ago, “is this a dagger which is before me? The handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee…” Sorry for the digression, oh to relive the days of attending 1984 Kittanning Sr. High (College Prep. English) in the super school with a graduating class of 250.
The full quote is “by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes”, it was said by one of the witches in MacBeth, and just like the witch in the play, I am getting a tingling sensation, an omen if you will, that there are some interesting events about to occur. No, I am not talking about the Gang of 6 voting to reopen Elderton Sr. High School, rather this is about the change in solicitors. The reality is change can be good, but let’s consider why and for what reasons this change was made.
Director James Solak, expressed his adoration for the business skills and expertise of our new Solicitor the former Business Manager for Duquesne School District (DSD) ( now defunct). The Auditor State General conducted an accounting audit of DSD’s records for 1997 and 1998. Here is what was found:
- There were 102 transactions for which the superintendent's credit card was used. Receipts for only 24 of the transactions, totaling $4,913, were found in the school district's records.
- There were 122 transactions for which the business manager's credit card was used. Receipts for only 11 of the transactions, totaling $2,154, were found in the school district's records.
- Overall, there was documentation for 35 transactions totaling $7,067, or about 13 percent of the expenditures
- Nine computers for which SDCD was charged $12,765 are missing from the school district and are unaccounted for.
- A SDCD employee with whom the business manager had a financial relationship was paid commissions in connection with a purchase by the school district without adequate records of justification or full disclosure.
- SDCD failed to manage properly the process of purchasing computer technology equipment and services. The school district also obtained technology services without a written agreement or record of prior school board approval.
- The school district failed to maintain records concerning travel reimbursement payments to the former business manager, payments to a school district employee for food and meals, miscellaneous purchases of food and payments to an employee of a school district contractor.
- SDCD has not received the services of a personnel director called for in a contract with the former business manager. The contract has cost the school district over $30,000 to date.
- SDCD overpaid the City of Duquesne about $14,776 for tax collection and other financial management services from 1997 through 1999.
- The school district has failed to maintain records of financial activities in several basic areas and has poor record keeping procedures. These deficiencies impede efforts to verify expenditures or determine the reasons for actions taken by school district officials. As a result, the school district's overall financial management is subject to question.
Our new solicitors experience also has an element of building construction in Duquesne School District, an article was published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, October 7, 1997 describing the construction of DSD:
- The construction was expected to be September 15th, but was pushed back until October 6th ( if I read the article correctly)
- Modular trailers were brought in to house students (the article states they were nice trailers)
- Kindergarten through 4th grade were moved to a vacant Catholic School called St. Denis in Versailles
- Grades 5 – 8 were moved to a vacant Catholic School called Holy Trinity in McKeesport.
Apparently there was at least one board member at Duquense School District who was not very happy with the business manager and the handling of the construction, one Judith M. Burton, made an accusation that Raintree Consulting was not being pushed hard enough because it had contributed to the business managers unsuccessful run for State Representative in 1996. Please read the article for yourself.
Subsequently, Ms. Burton sent a letter to the McKeesport Daily News, which resulted in a lawsuit being filed against her by the business manager. The lawsuit was not successful. For those interested please read article here.
(OK, I’ll just wait for a lawsuit to be filed against me for this recitation of facts).
If you are reading this use the power of Google to do some other research and ask questions, get the facts. I welcome any information which disputes the content of these links.
So, what do YOU think? Do you agree with the business savvy of Mr. Solak? Does Armstrong County need the “Duquesne Way”.
Do you agree that something wicked this way comes?
