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Resident urges Conneaut SD to join county audit of North Shenango tax collector; solicitor outlines Right‑to‑Know process
Summary
Public commenter Valerie Keentop urged the board to pursue an audit of the North Shenango tax collector and to post the district's professional audit online; solicitor Mr. Nater responded that public records requests should follow Pennsylvania's Right‑to‑Know Law and that he will review district posting and agenda‑manager practices.
Valerie Keentop addressed the Conneaut SD board during public comment on April 1, asking why the district's professional audit was not simply posted online and urging the board to join a county audit of the North Shenango tax collector after alleging the county auditor showed school dollars were not received. "You may want to contact the county and be a part of the audit because so that you understand what happens is the bond kicks in if there is any money missing," Keentop said, and she cited a county assessment figure she said shows 3,110 parcels in North Shenango.
Solicitor Mr. Nater responded at the podium, reminding the public that record requests are handled under the Pennsylvania Right‑to‑Know Law and that district policies and the use of Agenda Manager/Board Docs affect how documents are published. "One of the things that I'd like to discuss with the board is the use of agenda manager, the use of board docs, and the use of the website because I would tend to agree that information that's public should be presented in those forms," Mr. Nater said; he encouraged Right‑to‑Know requests while noting repeated requests can have budget implications.
The solicitor also said he will review whether the audit can be placed on the district website and reiterated that he will generally respond when addressed or when the district asks him to review a Right‑to‑Know request.
Why it matters: Keentop's public comment raises a governance and transparency question about audit access and whether the district should more actively participate in or request county audits of local tax collection. The solicitor stated the legal process (Right‑to‑Know Law) governs requests for records and said he will look into posting practices; the claims Keentop raised about missing school dollars were not independently verified during the meeting.
The chair announced that, following adjournment, the board would enter an executive session to discuss personnel matters related to compensation plans and a potential claim and to add negotiations with the SESPA group. The meeting adjourned on a motion by Mr. Hall, seconded by Mr. Clink.
