Unable to agree on wording, Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors is postponing sending a letter to the Carbon County District Attorney’s office requesting an investigation over whether the district’s dealings with the National Education Foundation constituted criminal activity.

“I think it should be worded stronger so we don’t give the DA any wiggle room to not look into this,” director Barbara Bowes said during a board meeting Monday. “This hurt all of the taxpayers in Lehighton and it really ticks me off.”

LASD spent more than $3 million for what was supposed to be a “no-cost” contract to create Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math academies at its three schools around 2016.

The contract with NEF was the subject of a state auditor general’s report in 2020, chastising the district for getting nothing in return for its money.

In a draft that was attached to Lehighton’s board meeting agenda on Monday, the district listed six items of concern.

“The district paid stipends to its employees, however the work that was to performed for these stipends was to the benefit of NEF and not the district,” one of the items read.

Background

In 2014, the district applied for the Qualified Zone Academy Bond program from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and was approved for $8.5 million to support construction of a new elementary school and renovations to its middle and high schools. The district applied for another QZAB in 2016 and was approved for $6.8 million. To comply with the requirements of the QZAB program, the district partnered with NEF, which pledged to give it the required 10% of the bond proceeds as an in-kind donation.

Lehighton entered into additional agreements with the private company in conjunction with the QZABs. District officials and board members didn’t realize these agreements cost the district more than $3 million, the auditor general’s report stated. The agreements stipulated that the private company would assist the district in setting up STEM programs and provide the district with services, stipends and rewards.

“The district failed to monitor the agreements,” the 2020 auditor general’s report states, “to ensure that it received goods and services in accordance with the agreements. With regard to the 2016 agreement for which it paid $1.36 million, the district did not receive any of the agreed upon services, stipends, rewards, etc.”

Vote on Oct. 10

Several board members said Monday they were fine with the wording in the draft letter.

“I’m OK with making sure the district attorney is aware of what’s going on and if he wants to do anything, he can,” director Nathan Foeller said. “I don’t think we need to nitpick every detail and line it all up for him.”

Board President Joy Beers agreed.

“It’s not our job to do the investigation,” she said.

Bowes said she will submit the exact points she would like to see in the letter to Lehighton’s superintendent so it can be amended.

Lehighton has a board workshop scheduled for Oct. 10 and directors decided Monday night to make that a voting meeting in order to consider the amended letter.

“A lot of community members have issues with what happened with NEF,” Bowes said. “Some are more vocal than others. There are a number of things that could very well be considered criminal, but I don’t know because I’m not the state police. A proper investigation would put it to bed for good.”