In the wake of a District Parent Advisory Council report critical of the vehicle expenses of School District #83 employees, the school board has now formed an internal committee to investigate.
In April, the DPAC issued a report expressing concern about school district spending, including concerns about the expenses allocated to vehicles – especially those used by management. It went on to suggest many of these vehicles are not identified as school district property and are not always used for school district business.
“F150 Platinum Ford trucks at a cost of $60,000 for management personnel are not necessary. Small commuter vehicles economical on fuel should suffice for getting staff around our district. Further, SD83 vehicles should not be available for personal use on weekends and or vacations to haul boats or trailers with,” says the DPAC report.
At Tuesday’s board meeting it was announced an internal review of vehicle use and expense guidelines would be conducted. The school district says the review will not be a public process, in part because some of the provisions for vehicles make up part of employees’ contracts. The review will then be brought back to an in-camera board meeting for discussion.
Kari Wilkinson, president of the DPAC, suggested the school district’s vehicles be equipped with GPS systems to monitor appropriate use and determine whether mileage payments would be more cost-effective. She also hoped to see all school district-owned vehicles marked with a decal identifying that they belong to the school district.