WILTON — Rather than allow
residents to review the results of a publicly funded analysis of
spending on the school district credit card, the Wilton-Lyndeborough
Cooperative School Board has decided to seal an attorney’s report for up
to 50 years.
The school board accepted
Superintendent Trevor Ebel’s resignation during a nonpublic session
Tuesday night. Ebel resigned amid the review of credit card expenses for
such things as meals, movies, alcohol and limousines.
School board Chairman Geoff Brock called upon the 35
people in the audience to “trust the people you’ve elected. I think we
have some very good, dedicated people.”
The financial analysis by attorney Dean Eggert was
requested after an audit of school district expenditures turned up
questionable expenses charged to the school district credit card, which
was in Ebel’s possession and had his name on it.
A Telegraph review of credit card receipts charged to
the district’s Citizens Bank credit card found charges for
$200-per-night suites and meal tabs of up to almost $900. During one
trip to San Francisco, Ebel signed two receipts for limousines on the
card, one for $170 and one for $145.
Kristina Fowler, administrative assistant for School
Administrative Unit 63, said Wednesday morning she couldn’t provide a
copy of Eggert’s report because it was sealed by the board.
Asked how long it would be sealed, she said she thought it would be “for 50 years.”
The report was discussed in nonpublic session before the board meeting, and Brock announced that the investigation was complete.
The board not only sealed the report, it also sealed
the minutes of the nonpublic session because the information could
affect the reputation of a district employee, Brock told the audience.
At least some of the money spent on the trips to professional conferences was paid through federal grants.
“In general,” Brock said at the meeting, “the board
supports use of federal funds for professional development. We are
concerned about some of the things they bought.”
He didn’t elaborate.
Receipts showed that seven educators from the
Wilton-Lyndeborough school district spent around $3,000 to stay at a
Pittsburgh all-suite hotel, which involved commuting 70 miles round-trip
to California, Pa., for a two-day conference, when they could have
stayed much closer for much less money.
Among some of the other charges were:
$5,000 in room charges at Boston’s Park Plaza Hotel.
$3,600 for hotel rooms in San Francisco.
$724.35 for a meal at the McCormick & Kuletos
seafood restaurant, including two orders of Chilean sea bass for $69.90
total and $123.75 for alcohol, when seven educators traveled to San
Francisco.
$48 for a lunch for one person at the Cheesecake
Factory restaurant in San Francisco that included two Ultimate
Margaritas at $12 each. The lunch lasted 45 minutes.
$894.14 for a meal for 14 at Fleming’s Steakhouse
in Boston, including nine servings of filet mignon; two of those orders
were porcini-dusted for a total of $73.90. Other dinners on the meal
ticket included a bone-in ribeye steak for $43.50, a lamb chop for
$35.95 and a pepper steak for $39.50.
Despite the restaurant serving 14 people, only 11 teachers were enrolled at the educational conference.
Ebel, who has been superintendent since June 2009,
wasn’t at the meeting. Before getting the job, he was principal at
Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative Middle/Senior High School.
Current WLC Principal Brian Bagley will continue as acting superintendent until June 30, the end of the district’s fiscal year.
Ebel has agreed to stay on as a “consultant” to the
school district for 30 days because his resignation didn’t meet his
contractual obligation to give a certain amount of notice. He will be
paid a per diem rate based upon his most recent salary — $98,000 a year —
and will do only district work assigned to him. He will work from home.
Brock said a search would begin immediately for an interim superintendent.
