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05/18/06
Rhau's Coast-to-Coast Trips Questionable
In spite of rumors that my column will be discontinued
once the school elections are over is simply not true. There
is no intention to stop these articles either immediately or
in the near future.
In fact, it has been decided to take this to the next
level as well, by creating a new web-site
(www.saugertieswatchdog.com) which is expected to be up and
running in the very near future. Watch for it; it will
feature a wealth of information regarding the Saugerties
Central School District such as: employment contracts of
Superintendent Rhau, Assistant Superintendent Cheryl
Nucifaro, Business administrator and Joseph Dziadik; as well
as expenditures incurred by them for "District" business;
credit card statements; receipts; cell phone bills; names of
conferences, seminars and workshop meetings attended by
members of the administration, and cost to District
therefor; school board minutes; trustees' voting records;
list of any newly hired employees, their positions and
benefits, who are related to members of the administration.
The web site will also feature an opinion page for people to
post letters and/or comments; a section for confidential
information; opinion polls and links to other relevant or
interesting sites. This will be an opportunity for the
public to open the books of the Saugerties Central School
District for all to see and scrutinize. So, be on the
lookout.
Outrageous Spending
All that being said, let's get back to some more of the
outlandish and wasteful spending of our money. Once again, I
would like to share with the readers a few more examples of
Superintendent Richard Rhau's coast-to-coast ventures at our
expense.
Superintendent Rhau spent three days at the Holiday Inn
at Saratoga Springs, New York, from September 19 to
September 21, 2004. This cost the District $416.56. Other
than a voucher showing payment, there were no records or
other information found to explain this trip
Superintendent Rhau attended the 2005 NSPRA Conference in
Boston, Massachusetts, from July 10 to July 14, 2005.
Accommodations were at the Westin Coley Place in Boston
(expenses for the hotel alone were $1,258.41). Other charges
incurred were: $160.30 for mileage; and $240.61 for meals at
places such as Skip Jacks ($43,35), Top of the Hub ($37.50),
Joe's American Bar & Grill ($46.00), Au Bon Pain
($6.76), Armani Café ($23.00), Osushi Restaurant
($50.00), and Cheesecake Factory ($34.00). Total cost to the
district for this culinary odyssey was $1,659.32.
Superintendent Rhau attended the National Conference in
San Diego California from February 23 to February 26, 2006.
The District paid $540.00 for the conference registration
alone (once again, other than a voucher showing payment,
there were no records or other information found to explain
this trip).
Superintendent Rhau attended the ASCD Conference at
Orlando, Florida, from March 30 to April 2, 2005. On 9:00
a.m., Saturday, March 26, 2005, Rhau and his wife departed
the Philadelphia International Airport on US Air Flight
No.523 to Orlando and arrived at 11:41 a.m. The cost for the
flight was $583.62. Although there is a copy of a personal
check from Rhau for $286.81 as reimbursement for his wife's
flight, the check is dated December 5, 2004. Upon arrival at
Orlando, Rhau rented a car. The car was rented from March 26
to April 3, 2005, or eight-days, during which time it was
driven 428-miles. Between March 30 and April 2, 2005 the
District paid $627.28 for lodging at the Radisson hotel.
Other charges to the District amounted to $602.12 and
included eight-days' car rental ($339.87), airport parking
($36.00), Orlando parking ($10.00), hotel expenses for
cashews, movie rentals, room service, etc. ($96.63) and
meals ($59.00). Total cost to the District for what amounts
to a family journey was $1,516.20. Analyzing all this
information raises many questions for the Board's president,
Vince Buono. First of all, if the ASCD Conference was for
the three-day period of April 2 through April 4, 2005, why
did the District pay $339.87 for eight days' car rental
(March 26 through April 3)? And, if the Convention Center,
where the conference was held, was only 9.84 miles from
Rhau's hotel, why was the car driven 428-miles? And, why did
the District pay for hotel expenses on March 30 and 31,
three days before the event even started? According to
documents, Rhau attended the conference only one day (April
2) during the entire eight-day stay.
Checks and Balances Needed
What is particularly troubling is the fact that at least
four school board members (including the vice-president)
have indicated that they had no knowledge of Rhau being in
Florida for eight-days to attend a conference. And Rhau has
never brought any information back to share with the Board.
In fact, nowhere in the Board's minutes does it indicate
that Rhau has ever addressed the Board for approval to
attend any conferences, as required under his contract.
Similarly, some board members didn't even know that he had
been to Boston or San Diego. In fact, the Board has never
even seen nor approved any of Rhau's trip vouchers. They
were all approved and signed by the business administrator.
Allegedly, subsequent to an internal audit, Don McCaig
reviewed them.
All this raises some serious
concerns. Did School Board President Buono have knowledge?
If so, did he share that information with other board
members? Did Rhau attend these conferences without advising
the Board? Why did the District pay $160 for Rhau's trip
mileage to Boston when his contract expressly prohibits it?
Why did the District pay $339.87 to rent a car seven days
prior to the conference? Who reviewed and approved his
vouchers? Where are the checks and balances? Did Rhau
intentionally charge the District for reimbursements for
non-district business knowing that he had no right to do so?
These are very serious concerns indeed, and President Buono
has an obligation to explain to the public.
Stay tuned more to come....
George D Heidcamp, Sr.
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