Letter: Real change needed for CASD

To The Editor,

In reference to the Coatesville Area School District, I have been very much involved with the present controversy and currently represent several of the employees. I want to step back and share my thoughts as to what should be done if there is going to be serious and permanent change.

1. There has to be adoption by the School Board and hopefully some day by the State Legislature, rules or statutes that prohibit school board members from getting benefits, directly or indirectly, for themselves or family members or close friends. School board members should be prohibited from selling land they own to the School District or putting spouses or relatives in jobs or consulting contracts. Perhaps a similar rule might be necessary for top administrators. One of the major problems with the Coatesville Area School District over the last 20 or 25 years has been the failure of school boards to act in an independent fashion and essentially become rubberstamps for the District. One of the causes of that is the fact that the Administration will often provide benefits or favors to Board members.

2. Second, those employees who were involved with the current problems of questionable financial activities and extremely improper racial and ethnic comments have to leave the School District. There is no way there can be change with the Acting Superintendent and Solicitor remaining. They have long
been part of the problem.

3. There has to be a reform as to how legal bills are paid. It is almost impossible for the general public to know the extent and amount of bills that are paid the Solicitor. There has to be a system where these bills are presented and can be reviewed by the public and questioned. There is no rational basis for bills in excess of a million dollars by the Solicitor. These bills are 5 to 10 times what is reasonable.

4. The NAACP should not hold their fact findings this coming week. Until the problems with the local chapter have been resolved and until individuals associated with the past have been removed, many people would be constrained to come forward and testify or tell exactly what has happened. As a
result, the NAACP hearings could end up to some extent directly allowing the District to get through this difficult time without real serious change or reform.

5. In Coatesville, there has to be a re-evaluation of hiring practices and an effort to have a more diverse teaching and employment staff to reflect the diversity of the school.

6. There has to be much stronger financial controls in place. The Business Manager of the School District should be given some independence. The Business Manager should answer only to the School Board and not to the Superintendent. In the past, the Superintendent has been allowed to terminate the
Business Manager, with resulting problems.

7. There has to be a strong Human Relations Department where people can complain and there would be serious review and investigation.

8. There has to be a series of speakers over the next year or two discussing problems with hate and racism and the long term effects it has.

9. There has to be acknowledgement by the School Board of a failure to supervise and perhaps resignations by many of the School Board members. Clearly, the President of the School Board, who has been aware of many of these matters, ought to go, as also the current President of the Coatesville NAACP. There are others who should resign because they haven’t fulfilled their duties.

10. A new Solicitor and Superintendent who are independent and committed to re-evaluating all practices and procedures need to be put in place. These people should be given independence to perform their job and report to the School Board.

11. There has to be a full and complete accounting of possible financial misuse and persons who ultimately found to have been involved should be held accountable for repaying the monies.

These are basic changes that have to take place. Without these changes, Coatesville Area School District may have some short term reforms, but the long term will repeat itself. I have been involved with this School District since the early 1990s involving the original rock removal excessive legal fees.

I brought suits in the late 1990s for mistreatment of administrators. There was always going to be change and reform as a result of what I did and then, after six months, it all dissipated and the current problems are the result. That cannot happen again in the future. Education is too precious to allow this kind of misconduct to occur again.

Samuel C. Stretton

West Chester