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Pocono News Section
W-B School Board Meets After Third Member Indicted
W-B School Board Meets After Third Member Indicted - Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 5:45PM EST
Reported by: Mark Hiller
Wednesday, Sep 16, 2009 @ 05:45pm EDT
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY -- The Wilkes-Barre Area School District is trying to move forward after its latest scandal. The school board is set to meet just one day after the board president was indicted on a corruption charge. Now the district is prepared for more public backlash.
School Superintendent Dr. Jeff Namey said, "Tonight's meeting may be a little bit different because of the recent circumstances."
Namey reflects on the latest scandal to rock the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. A federal grand jury indicted School Board President Frank Pizzella on Tuesday. Pizella is suspected of brokering a "pay for play" deal between a teacher candidate and an unnamed school board member in 2004. That was 3-years before Pizzella was even elected to the board.
Pizzella had just replaced Board President James Height who resigned in May and pled guilty to accepting a bribe. And fellow school director Brian Dunn is also implicated in a wider "pay for play" scheme. Ann Hewitt of Wilkes-Barre said, "I've heard this forever that teachers paid to get jobs... forever."
Hewitt is among many who believe the board needs an overhaul. "We need new blood and people that are more trustworthy and straightforward and how you find them is another story," she said.
Angel Jirau of Wilkes-Barre said, "I've been in this town 10 years and one thing I've always heard is this. It's an old school boy's network. That's the only way it's going to change... bring in fresh blood."
With three Wilkes-Barre Area School Board members targeted in the federal corruption investigation, Dr. Namey says it's tough to restore faith that's been shattered. That's why the Wednesday night school board meeting is so critical in clearing the air and restoring credibility.
And that could mean a change in policy. "That may have to be some kind of significant revision in how people are hired in this school district. I know they're very anxious to start that process, and that process may start as early as this evening," said Namey.
Superintendent Namey says the district wants to move on from the corruption scandal. He says excellent people are in place, committed to doing their jobs the right way. | | |
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