Penn Hills school board president seeks help from federal government to relieve debt

The president of the Penn Hills school board has petitioned the federal government to seek relief from the district’s crippling debt.

Erin Vecchio said she reached out to President Donald Trump via letter seeking relief from the $172 million of debt that she described as “being used for a kickback scheme involving the Penn Hills School District.”

She also requested an investigation into how the district was allowed to get into that debt in the first place.

In May 2016, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale published a report that he described as “one of the worst school audits” he’d ever seen, citing alleged mismanagement of funds and district credit cards, among other concerns.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. launched a grand jury investigation shortly after DePasquale’s audit was released and in February released a two-part grand jury report that resulted in no recommendations for indictments, but blasted the district for fiscal mismanagement.

The debt is largely due to the construction of the high school and elementary school in 2013 and 2014.

Vecchio said she is going to keep fighting to get answers as to how and why no one was indicted for alleged crimes.

In a letter dated June 10, the White House responded to her request:

“After carefully reviewing your correspondence, we have determined that your concerns involve state or local matters. Please contact government officials in your state who can best address your situation …”

On June 17, Vecchio’s son, Philip, created an online petition on Change.org to gather 500 signatures. The petition demands “that federal authorities investigate this matter immediately and either decide to prosecute those involved and seek damages - or we demand the immediate bailout of the district’s debt. The local taxpayers should not be responsible for the corruption of its leadership.”

As of June 20, the petition purported to have gathered 366 signatures. Erin Vecchio said she hopes to get 1,000 and that she would stand out on street corners to get more to sign. To view the petition, visit bit.ly/2J1tOch.

“We need somebody to help us get out of this mess. Even a no-interest loan — the interest is killing us. I’m just trying to raise awareness to get help for the people of Penn Hills,” she said.

Meanwhile, the district is looking at proposed tax increases, program cuts and furloughs to fix the debt crisis. The state placed Penn Hills in financial recovery status in January and appointed Dan Matsook in February to craft a plan that could help turn things around.

The school board will vote on the district’s proposed final budget at a meeting scheduled to start at 11 a.m. June 29 at Linton Middle School. The meeting was originally scheduled for June 24 but was moved to the later date to give state legislators more time to ratify the state budget.

“Having this information is key as our Board of School Directors considers tax levy options needed to support District operations for the upcoming fiscal year,” said Superintendent Nancy Hines in an email.

The board will also vote on Matsook’s financial recovery plan on June 29. Hines also said a new collective bargaining agreement, which expires June 30, could be presented to the school board at the June 29 meeting.