Superintendent says board will settle $11,000 DMV 19a audit assessment; board approves 4–3

The St Falls Board of Education voted 4–3 to accept an $11,000 settlement with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles to resolve a three-year 19a audit assessment covering the district’s bus driver unit.

The superintendent said the audit identified a series of mostly clerical errors and that the state had assessed $22,500 but offered a reduced $11,000 payment if the district accepts the charges instead of requesting a hearing. “We are going to be stuck paying this and then trying to change the system afterward,” the superintendent said, summarizing the district’s decision to settle and pursue system changes.

Board discussion focused on the audit’s process and remedies. The superintendent described one example from the audit: a medical form used to certify drivers lacked an entered average hearing-score field; because the average box was not filled in, the item was cited in the audit. The superintendent said the district consulted its bus consultant, legal counsel and regional superintendents, and notified state representatives and DMV leadership while seeking more consistent feedback from auditors.

Trustees asked about alternatives and the risk of recurring penalties. The superintendent said the district hopes improved internal checks will prevent repeat citations and noted other districts reported similar problems; she added it was possible collective legal action could be considered in the future but said that would not immediately help the district’s current liability.

The motion to approve the payment passed on a 4–3 vote. The board record provided during the meeting did not include a roll-call list linking each yes/no vote to individual trustees in the transcript; the board’s vote tally was announced from the floor as four in favor and three opposed.