Penn Hills SD leaders accept responsibility following audit report: ‘We failed'

PENN HILLS, Pa. — A Penn Hills School District school board meeting Monday night was supposed to begin with a report from the superintendent, but the board instead immediately acknowledged why parents were really there.

The meeting was the first to be held since the findings of the state auditor general’s audit report were publicly released last week.

The report highlighted a laundry list of budgeting errors, operating deficits and policy violations, all of which sent the district in a downward spiral and landing it in a financial disaster. Within five years, the district managed to grow its debt from less than $11 million to $167 million, which is more than the district’s entire operating budget for 2014 and 2015 combined.

Parents demanded answers at Monday night’s meeting.

“Everybody keeps implying that you all know the answers. So if everybody knows the answers, then why are we not aware of it?” one parent said.

On behalf of the school board, President Denise Graham-Shealey admitted the district's shortcomings.

“We were wrong. So to put it bluntly, we failed. Failure isn’t an easy thing to accept,” she said.

She went on to propose moving forward, vowing to make things better for the district and its students.

“This board is focused on rebuilding, figuring out how to get us out of this mess,” Graham-Shealey said.

Parents who spoke to Channel 11 News following the meeting said they’re disappointed in the district but remain hopeful that the situation will turn around.

“I do feel that (Superintendent) Dr. (Nancy) Hines really cares about what’s going on,” parent Nikolette Senge said.

A town hall is scheduled for June 6. Parents told Channel 11 News that they think a proposed budget will be discussed then.

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