ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — Tempers flared at a Baldwin-Whitehall School District board meeting Wednesday evening as residents raised concerns about the district’s finances.
Channel 11's Pamela Osborne reported that at the center of the meeting's discussion was Martin Schmotzer. Last week, the state's ethics commission found him guilty of planning to get himself a $120,000 job with the district he served, outraging parents and National Parent Teacher Association President Jerry Pantone.
FREE APPS | NOW | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
- Man claims he was kicked out of Pittsburgh-area gym because of looks
- Little leaguers line funeral route of teammate killed by tree branch during game
- Family threatened over Batman-themed photo shoot on train tracks
- Ex-Ravens cheerleader with ties to Western Pa. pleads guilty to rape
“I don't think they should be in their seats at all. I think if they had any integrity at all, they would all resign right now,” Pantone said.
Residents who packed the last scheduled board meeting of the school year said they were upset with what they felt was mismanagement of district funds and proposed cuts.
Schmotzer, who resigned from a high-paying position a month after creating it in 2013, placed the blame elsewhere.
“If the finance committee would've done their job, they would've found new streams of revenue, but they did not,” Schmotzer said.
Residents, including Brian Rampolla, who confronted Schmotzer during the meeting, said they were fed up and outraged by a proposal to recoup district funds by charging teachers and staff members $100 a month for parking.
The plan got no support and failed to pass – a small victory for residents and board members, who must now find another solution to help the budget.
WPXI
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
