Taxpayers of Old Fort School District, here is the cost of incompetence. We watched last spring as the drama unfolded in the local papers and on local TV stations. Mr. Tom Weaver was placed on unpaid leave while he was investigated for allegations that have since been deemed at the very least insufficient for his removal. How do we know this? By the settlement reached, of course. And by the fact Mr. Weaver did not lose his license. What did this fiasco cost us, the taxpayers? Here is the breakdown:
$44,275.86 in pay to Mr. Weaver.
$25,875 cost for contracted principal.
$ 53,012.51 legal fees paid by the school for a grand total of $123,163.37.*
Now, Jude Meyers and the board would have you to believe Schools of Ohio Risk Sharing Authority will pay for "most" of the legal fees. But what they fail to tell you is that we pay for that coverage. Nothing in government is free. Besides the Mr. Weaver mess, let's look at some other spending by Meyers and the previous superintendent, with the blessings of the board.
Since 2009, Old Fort School District has paid $32,488 for cameras and upgrades in our hallway surveillance. Is the crime rate and student violence so rampant at Old Fort that we need to have cameras? This school board questions why the community will not support a new building levy when they allow this kind of reckless spending to occur on its watch. I believe the board needs to take immediate action to prevent this wasteful spending and false charges being brought by Meyers before it's too late. And if the board fails to do so, then maybe it's time to replace the board.
Ed Kirchner,
Old Fort
* All information gathered through the Freedom of Information Act from the public records from the Old Fort School treasurer.
