Baker board withholds federal audit

• By CHUCK HUSTMYRE
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Sep 17, 2008 - Page: 4B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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BAKER — The School Board is in possession of a financial audit of its troubled federal programs budget, but board attorney Veronica Sizer refused to make the document public Tuesday night.

The Baker school system’s federal programs have been a problem for the board since at least February when allegations of nepotism and spending irregularities surfaced.

The board also has lost out on significant federal funding programs because the staff missed application and other paperwork deadlines.

In February, the board hired the accounting firm of Postlethwaite & Netterville to conduct an audit of its federal programs budget.

Last spring, Barbara Parker, the board’s federal programs director, was placed on administrative leave, although she continues to draw her full salary.

On Tuesday, interim Superintendent Alfred Douglas said he received the accounting firm’s audit report in July and has discussed it with the board’s attorney.

When asked for a copy of the report at the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, Sizer said she had to have the request in writing.

She estimated it could take up to 72 hours for her to provide a copy of the document, despite the fact that several copies of the audit were in the board’s meeting room at the time of the request.

Sizer explained she had to have time to remove personnel information from the report.

In the past, the Baker School Board has not usually required written requests for documents circulated at public meetings.

On Tuesday, Sizer said, previous board attorneys were wrong for releasing documents without a written request.

Sizer became the board’s attorney last year, replacing Mark Plaisance.

The board also scheduled final interviews with the remaining two candidates seeking to become the next superintendent of schools.
The interviews will be conducted in private and are set to begin at 6 p.m. Monday.