Misuse claims unresolved

Shohola — Seemingly everyone involved with claims of unauthorized use of district fuel by the school busing contractor wants an investigation to settle things — but how that investigation is to be accomplished has not been resolved. Speaking at the Delaware Valley School Board’s Jan. 8 work session, member Diane French called for something akin to an in-house audit to compare contractor Krise Busing’s trip records against school district fuel usage records. She also reported on and defended a Jan. 7 meeting she took with a Krise Busing official and a state investigator familiar with recent allegations against Krise by the drivers. French said the state revenue enforcement agent Neil Hochreiter called for a meeting of the principals with a minimum of people in attendance. She said there was “nothing underhanded,” involved and the only goal was to bring closure to the issue. There has been no word of any state investigation about the claims of drivers who say they were dispatched for non-school trips with buses operating on the district’s tax-free fuel. Making the allegations worse, the district provides fuel to Krise at 1998 contract prices, originally a revenue device favoring the district, which now creates loses of more than $2 with each gallon used. Tracy Hornbeck, who now drives buses for the school district, formerly drove and worked in the garage for Krise. She says she drove on several non-school runs with district fueled buses. The situation didn’t make an impression at the time, she said. “Drivers don’t think about that. You get an assignment and you do it,” she said. Hornbeck and her supervisor, Fran Rosario are among 10 bus drivers still employed directly by the district. Rosario has been publicly calling for an independent investigation for a month or more. French charges that the district drivers’ complaints are simply criticism of Krise, who they fear will seek to displace them should the district renew a soon-to-expire contract with the company. Rosario denies that, saying her concerns are that of any taxpayer in a tough economy. “Krise is getting fuel from the district, which is losing $2 per gallon, while men, women and children are losing their homes. Wouldn’t you like to pay a $1 a gallon and do trips?” The board came to no new conclusions about resolving the controversy and did not reveal those they have agreed upon. Member Ed Silverstone questioned French’s audit suggestion. “At our executive session last month, I thought we agreed on a course of action. We should continue with it,” he said. Silverstone did not reveal what the agreed-upon course was. “I have concerns about the ability of our administration to do an audit,” he continued. French relented on language, saying that perhaps audit had been the wrong word, but she argued for some documentation. “If misuse comes out... we need to go forward... I’d like to see something (on paper) in front of me,” she said. District Superintendent Dr. Candis Finan had the last word, saying the topic and last month’s executive session outcome needed “more discussion” in executive session . Fired bus driver clarifies her position Commenting on the Dec. 26 Courier account of the board’s Dec. 18 bus discussion, former Krise driver Jennene Stang recently said that she is not seeking reappointment, and appeared in December only to support parents who spoke on her behalf.