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Pocono News Section
Judge releases opinion on school board removal
Judge releases opinion on school board removal - Friday, June 26, 2009 at 5:57PM EST
Friday, Jun 26, 2009 @ 05:57pm EST
A Schuylkill county judge releases his opinion on why a school board was wiped out.
Eight North Schuylkill board members were removed this week.
This report explains just how far the North Schuylkill school board went to place their own unqualified candidate into the superintendent office.
Efforts to seat a qualified superintendent were nonexistent.
That's a judges opinion after removing eight North Schuylkill school board members.
People like Margaret Carduff of Ashland agree.
"I just kind of felt they went behind peoples back and they got caught," says Carduff.
The opinion says the board knew interim superintendent Mark Semanchik was unqualified when he was given the job in July 2008.
The opinion shows the board wanted him as superintendent because Semanchik is the board solicitor.
But under state law, Semanchik didn't have the necessary qualifications to be a superintendent.
To boost Semanchik's credentials the board approved to pay for his masters degree.
The board did so without a public meeting.
North Schuylkill has been without a permanent superintendent since 2007.
The opinion says the school board advertised for a superintendent.
The judge says that advertisement was tailored to fit Semanchik’s qualifications.
Four new school board members were appointed Thursday.
A school board meeting was held the same night.
In that meeting, Semanchik announced he will step down as superintendent.
That will be effective midnight Tuesday.
He will also step down as board solicitor.
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