July 17, 2008

Is the school board's sell of salvaged aluminum and steel a conflict of interest? You decide.

By Rhonda Smyth, CV&T News Editor

In our position as “community watchdog” we take complaints and concerns from the public quite seriously. We do everything in our power to discover that which may be hidden and see that it comes to the the light of day.
The Kentucky Open Records/Open Meetings law has been nicknamed the “sunshine law” for that reason. This set of statutes gives the public the right to attend all government and school board meetings and to look at any and all documents that are a part of the public record. It also regulates what can be discussed behind closed doors and what cannot.
Now that the background has been laid, we feel it necessary to address a concern that was brought to our attention recently.
Estill High has been undergoing massive renovations and is beginning to look like a new school building. The old aluminum awning and other items were removed from the school and will be replaced with new items.
So what happened to all the old aluminum and steel removed from the building? This quickly became a topic for conversations around the county and some people were upset by the rumor that a local scrap metal dealer with ties to a school board member was allowed to purchase a lot of the salvage. They felt this was improper and possibly a conflict of interest.
The first step we took was to call Superintendent Bert Hensley and Administrative Assistant Randall Christopher and ask them to whom they sold the salvaged items. We were told that most of it went to Northside Recyclying, a company operated on the property of school board member Charles Patrick by his nephew Danny Powell. Other salvaged items such as the old stainless steel counters from the high school kitchen were sold to D& K Recycling on Richmond Road.
When asked why they didn’t take bids on it prior to selling it, Christopher said technically the salvaged items didn’t belong to the school system. They belonged to the construction company performing the renovations. Christopher said the contractor told him he could take any salvage he wanted so the contractor wouldn't have to haul the stuff off. Christopher said he took what he thought would bring in a little money for the school system.
Our next step was to try to find out if it was indeed a conflict of interest. We asked a lawyer who said that since the items technically belonged to the construction company not the school system, it was not a conflict. Standard contracts do give the contractor the right to the salvage.
We also saw the original receipts, dated June 11, 2008, from the sale of the salvaged items. Northside Recycling paid $2,665 and D. & K. Recycling paid $364.50. Both amounts were deposited into the school board’s general fund to be used for the construction project.
Christopher said it was his intention to make a little money for the school system while supporting local businesses. He said the items were considered to be salvaged items and not in the same category as surplus items. When surplus items are sold, they are sold at public auctions which are advertised beforehand.
So was it a conflict of interest? Or was it unethical for the school board to deal with a company owned by one of it's members?
We have presented the facts as we know them. You be the judge.
For more information on the "sunshine law" go to http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Kentucky_Open_Records_Act

Education committee a great pleasure

By Ted Edmonds, 96th District Representative

One of my greatest pleasures as a lawmaker is also one of my greatest responsibilities. I’m the House Co-Chair for our Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education. In short, our group studies the problems affecting our P-12 schools and works on solutions when the General Assembly convenes in January.
At our July meeting last week, we heard from one of the brightest educators we have working in Kentucky today. Morehead State University President Wayne Andrews discussed what his school is doing to better prepare high school students for college life. With MSU preparing more than 70 percent of the teachers in its area, it’s in a unique position to influence what is taught in our classrooms.
Dr. Andrews gave us some great news. MSU professors are working with classroom teachers more than ever. They’re also teaching their college students differently. Now, future math teachers will take classes alongside math majors so they get the in-depth knowledge they need to prepare them for the classroom. Before, they focused on “math education” rather than “math.” It sounds like a small difference, but for the thousands of students each year who head off unprepared for college, it would mean a world of good.
What does going to college unprepared mean?
For one, it means an already expensive college education is even more expensive for students and their parents. Students who don’t score well enough to start freshman-level classes have to take remedial courses.
They pay the same amount in tuition, but they don’t get the college credit needed to graduate. That means more time spent in school, and higher bills. It’s part of the reason so many students, especially our poorer students, drop out. Then they’re saddled with student loans and no degree to get the job to pay for them.
Dr. Andrews wasn’t the only person to tell us about the positive changes in our schools. Estill County Superintendent Bert Hensley and Tim Bobrowski, principal at Sebastian Middle School, also spoke about the many programs going on in their schools. One message they both had was that students and parents, even in middle school, should be aware of the possibilities that await them.
They also need to prepare for them. College preparation begins in middle school, when students can take tougher classes.
They need to know there’s a bigger world out there with thousands of different careers if they put in the time and effort to achieve their goals.
Parents should focus on saving money or looking into scholarship programs so they can afford college when the time comes.
Each year we hear educators talk about different innovative ways they’re helping their students excel.
We hope we can discover programs that can be spread statewide to help all Kentuckians live a better life. If you know of anything going on in your child’s school that could help others, please let me know. That’s why I’m your servant in Frankfort.