Connellsville Area addresses district credit card policy
CONNELLSVILLE — Changes to Connellsville Area School District financial policies will limit the number of district credit cards issued to employees, according to the district’s business manager.
Robert Geletko, assistant to the superintendent for finances and operations, said the district previously allowed six employees from various departments to hold district credit cards, but will now maintain one single credit card with purchases needing the approval of both himself and the superintendent.
Geletko addressed changes to the district’s credit card policy and procedures in a statement last week during the school board’s regular meeting.
“After re-evaluating our processes, we have come to the conclusion that the district needs and will have only one active credit card, possessed by a single source, and only to be used with the approval of the superintendent and myself,” Geletko stated.
Geletko said the district’s previous policy was for six individuals — the superintendent, board/superintendent secretary, assistant business manager, purchasing manager and each of the two co-directors of buildings and grounds — to hold credit cards.
Under the new policy, the sole credit card will be controlled the district’s purchasing manager.
When asked the reason for the policy change, Geletko said, “We’re just re-evaluating our internal controls.
“I’ve been changing a lot in the business office since I’ve been here the last year. This is just one of many things. Most of our financial policies are from 2006,” he said, adding that the district’s travel and vehicle fleet policies will be addressed and brought up to date in the near future.
The statement came less than three weeks after former district Superintendent Phil Martell resigned from his position and wrote a restitution check to the district for the alleged misappropriation of $130 of district funds.
Addressing the board, Geletko said that in his tenure as business manager, district credit cards and the purchases made with them were properly processed and recorded. All items could be tracked to the intended departments for their intended use, he said.
“I hope this statement assures our constituency and our board of directors how seriously we take our internal controls, procedures and our financial recording,” said Geletko.
In other business, the board opted to rescind a motion passed last month to lease a Ram ProMaster City van through Enterprise Fleet Management for use by the district’s technology department, opting to instead purchase a 2017 Dodge Caravan GT minivan from Enterprise Car Sales for $19,700.
Geletko said the purchase of the van, which will be made using funds from the technology budget, will save the district about $5,000.
The van will be used by the technology department, summer driving education program and for professional development needs.
Turning to personnel matters, the board hired Melissa Barron as a 4-hour food service employee at West Crawford Elementary, Eric Sheetz as a JROTC 10-month instructor and Jennifer Gillott as a personal student aide.
Jennie Richter was approved as a long-term English substitute teacher at the high school and Lindsey Ghost as a long-term elementary substitute at Springfield Elementary.
Supplemental coaching contracts for the 2017-18 school year were approved for Robert Swope, ninth-grade basketball assistant; Sean McDowell, eighth-grade basketball assistant; and B.J. Farrell, seventh-grade basketball head coach.
Also Wednesday, the board:
n Hired 40 staff positions for the 2017-18 high school musical production, totaling $24,925 in salaries.
n Approved an equipment trade-in credit from SkyOxygen in the amount of $4,554 to be used for future purchases for the Career and Technical Center.
n Approved to solicit bids for spring sports supplies and equipment.
n Added Jonathan Shipley to the substitute custodian list; Alexander Guie, Patrick Carder and Kristy Kriek to the professional substitute list; and Linda Cooper and Nicole Anderson to the support professional substitute list.
n Added Michael Forquer, Samantha Hone, Ronald Nicholson and Edward Smith to the bus/van driver list.