The District normally has five business days to respond, which they did, unless a legal review is required, which would be 30 additional days. Here is the response I received today by Mrs. Szalinski, Open Records Officer, and Dr. Steinhauer's administrative assistant.
I acknowledged receipt of the response that had also been sent to Dr. Steinhauer, Solicitor Tom Peterson, and Jan Klein with the following:
Mrs. Szalinski,How can we go from 205 pages to 24 pages? I know the District has been frugal, according to Jan Klein, but saving on electrons doesn't really amount to much.
Thank you for your timely response, but I am confused. The detailed final budget to the PDE on the link that you provided in your response is only 24 pages and can be found here. http://www.mtlsd.org/district/budget/budgetmeetingdocuments.asp
Yet, last year's budget is 205 pages. http://www.mtlsd.org/district/stuff/budget_2012-2013.pdf It can be found here: http://www.mtlsd.org/district/finance.asp
Where might I get the detailed 2013-2014 final budget?
Elaine Gillen
22 comments:
They took five days to respond to a request for documents that were posted much earlier on the website. It makes me wonder if it took five days for someone to find it on the website of if they have you on a DELAY LIST.
I could have sworn they were just posted. When I filed the RTK, they weren't there. But the 200+ page budget is MIA. The PDE budget is the fake budget, I believe.
Elaine
Not much transparency going on here! Wonder what they are covering up????
The 2013-14 "200 + page budget" is at the printers. It is never published in final form until after the final budget vote in May. It may find it's way to the website later this month.
Sadly, the public seldom review such a document, but it thoroughly describes and explains the budget. I doubt many school board members review and understand it either.
10:11 PM, it doesn't need to be printed to be uploaded to the website or emailed to me. I got the standard "It's on the website."
Elaine
10:11, "It may find [its] way to the website later this month" doesn't cut it. It's a public record, not a job awaiting completion at the printer's workshop.
The board took official action on the final budget May 20, 2013.
It must be made available for public review immediately after the vote. The public is attempting to review such a document, but is being denied. The sad part is, our government is not complying with the law.
The Mt. Lebanon District is clearly violating the PA Act 3 of 2008, Section 701. Access.
(a) General rule. — Unless otherwise provided by law, a public record, legislative record or financial record
shall be accessible for inspection and duplication in accordance with this act.
https://www.dced.state.pa.us/public/oor/pa_righttoknowlaw.pdf
I received this from Mrs. Szalinski this AM:
"Dear Mrs. Gillen,
I am sorry that you were confused. We have 90 days to prepare that budget document. It is being compiled now with the expectation it will be done at the end of August. Once complete, it will be posted on the website.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Szalinski"
Elaine
If it is not prepared at this time, what did our esteemed Board of School Directors vote to approve May 20, 2013?
This is a dirty little secret MTLSD didn't want you to know. It has been going on for years.
Maybe Mike Riemer needs to read the "trash" on this blog if he is going to be a school board director.
Elaine
From the PA School Code of 1949, Section 687(2)(b):
Within fifteen (15) days after the adoption of the budget, the board of school directors shall file a copy of the same in the office of the Department of Public Instruction.
May 20, 2013 plus 15 days was June 4, 2013.
10:02 AM The school board voted on an $83 million budget with only a handfull of paper upon which to base their deliberations and decisions, papers that used to be shared or made available to the public at the meetings. Few of them knew what the "205 page budget book" was or its content detail.
Riemer is a union plant, don't you know !
The only way to make the school board follow the law is to file suit against them. Sorry, folks but they will continue to break the law unless and until they're called on it. And the only way to make them comply is to get an attorney to file against them for violation of the Sunhine Act.
12:23, all the information needed is right here.
Any attorneys reading this can file the complaint. All the legwork has already been done for them.
an attroney isn't going to come down from the clouds and file against the board just to be nice. someone needs to pay them.
We need an Attorney???
Thought that is why we paid big bucks for State Auditor Generals and state representatives!
What exactly is the purpose of the PA Dept. of Education?
According to wiki--
"The Office of the Auditor General of Pennsylvania was created in 1809 by the General Assembly. The office was appointed by the Governor until 1850, when it became a state-wide elective office. The terms were for 3 years, until a constitutional amendment in 1909 increased the terms to 4 years.
Responsibilities
The office performs financial audits of state agencies, municipal governments, school districts, public sector pensions, entities that receive state funding support (such as certain universities and hospitals), and corporate tax returns. These audits are designed as an accountability mechanism and serve to ensure that public money is spent in an appropriate manner."
So we now have to hire an attorney to ensure that our school district taxes are spent in an apporopriate manner?
We need tar and feathers to ensure that our school district taxes are spent in an apporopriate manner.
Then dont hire one. A year from now everyone will still be complaining.
So, this hiring of an attorney is the responsibility of one person?
Forget it! Have been that route with a group of residents, one of whom, well known, stiffed me by not paying a promised share of the legal expense. Have also gone the route of Auditor General's office in face-to-face meeting (sympathetic, but no help whatsoever), Ethics Commission (no help), state legislator (no help) and advertised fed school fraud hotline (not a big enough deal to justify investigation).
Aid to and protection of the taxpayers ? Forget It ! It's all a farce. Did someone suggest tar and feathers ?
9:16 you're right, tar and feathers may be the last alternative since there is little in the way of oversight or enforcement.
In fact we just elected two new state officials. Smith and Miller. What did they campaign on-- finding more money for education. Notice not one word of eliminating waste, increasing efficiencies, enforcing procedures and accountability. Its all BS by both parties.
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