Group requests Vernon investigate school board action on building project
The Rev. Peter Malik has asked Fayette County District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon to investigate whether the board made a “capricious and arbitrary” decision about plans for the Uniontown Area High School. Malik said he is one of 18 school district residents who signed a letter to Vernon, asking her to conduct an investigation of the board’s action and requesting an injunction to prevent the school board from acting further on the high school project.
He said he and the others are concerned that the board may have abused its power and violated the Commonwealth Procedures Act.
Vernon, when asked this week about the request, said she is taking the group’s request for investigation and injunction under advisement.
Malik said the firm of Burt Hill Kosar Rittlemann Associates conducted a study of the high school in 1999 and recommended a $10.7 million renovation.
He said the board has ignored that study and referred to a study conducted by architect Mark Altman that included a renovation/construction project totaling an estimated $43 million.
“If the board showed no reason for expanding the cost of the project from $10 million to $43 million, then the members have violated the Act,” Malik said. “I wanted to see if something like this would come under the district attorney’s jurisdiction because she would know if the board was in violation.”
Board President Harry “Dutch” Kaufman said the board has been working on renovating the high school for six years and denied that he and his fellow members acted hastily or illegally.
“This board has researched and worked with administrators, professionals, and many teachers,” he said. “This has been well thought out and we have been through all the mandates of the state and we’ve gotten several approvals from the Department of Education.”
He said the required public hearing for the high school project was advertised and was held in April, but not one member of the public made a comment about the building at that time.
He said the project to date has been advanced legally and with much planning and discussion.
“The Uniontown Area School Board has done all of this above board,” Kaufman said.