To the editor:

The last two years with Simon Patry as president of the BOE and his two comrades, who sit on the current board approved every increase in pay, every contract and even loans against money the school did not have.

This board is no better. They have already put a third legal team on retainer. They approved an investment firm at the advice of the same person that recommended the self-insurance plan which has caused over a million dollars of the deficit.

Hidden within the May 21st consent agenda were 8 contracts totaling over a Million and half dollars. The ninth contract with Troy Christian we know nothing about as it was hidden from public view. One contract was already signed by Mr. Moran. Waibel’s contract was over $60,000 – donors to the levy campaign, maybe a pay for play contract, which would explain why was there no bidding process. These contracts should have been pulled multiple questions should have been asked but they were not.

Garmann Miller’s contract for over $10,000.00 was also on the agenda. I have e-mails between Garmann Miller and the administration during their time working on the pre-bond issue. They state they want nothing more than this bond to pass, they write the board of education could “sabotage” the bond, they also wanted to present only half of the information fearing that if they showed it all, the group might go off on a “tangent”. They wanted to make sure administration put information on the website that they could pass to the levy campaign so the “public will buy into it”. The administration declined putting too much on the website as they said they “do not trust the community members”. Garmann Miller sent their qualification paper and reminded the school they are there for any project under $50,000,00, as it will not require a bid, that the school wants to do regardless of bond passage.

Their pre-bond contract stipulated no campaign or bond levy assistance will be provided, although the emails appear to show they did just that. Martin English led the levy campaign and the finance report shows payment to Garmann Miller for a contract for professional services. It looks like Garmann Miller may have violated their contract with the school on two different levels.

I provided the school board with this information and they still rubber stamped everything. Shame on them.

Kathy Bone

Tipp City