SHARPSVILLE SCHOOLS Report: No laws broken in matter

The superintendent was on vacation when decisions had to be made.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARPSVILLE, Pa. -- The president of the Sharpsville Area School Board didn't violate any laws, but he could have communicated better with other school directors in his handling of the resodding of the district's football field.
That's the gist of a report on the matter filed by Attorney John Reed, the school board solicitor.
Reed's findings were released to the public Wednesday.
President Robert Timmerman has come under criticism from some board members and the public for unilaterally making decisions that boosted a $17,900 project to about $43,000.
Timmerman has said that emergency decisions had to be made on the project, which originally started out as just a reseeding project, while Dr. Derry Stufft, superintendent, was out of town on vacation.
What happened: Timmerman said he and board Vice President Robert Donatelli, who has since resigned, authorized additional expenditures to ensure the field would be ready for the fall season without consulting the full board.
Reed, in his investigation, said the superintendent as well as the president and vice president of the board took responsibilities upon themselves far greater than originally contemplated.
However, all three were under the clear understanding that the school board had directed that the superintendent was to do whatever it took to get the field done, Reed said.
Stufft therefore approved various purchase orders increasing the cost of the contract and likewise, the president and vice president took it upon themselves to resolve a crisis while Stufft was on vacation but failed to inform the board of the crisis and their proposed solution, Reed said.
"While all of this may be legally permitted, it demonstrates the need for improved communication," Reed said, noting that applies to the president and the superintendent as well as the rest of the board.
However, Reed pointed out that Timmerman couldn't have legally telephoned a majority of the board to inform them of the crisis and solicit their approval of his plan without violating the state Sunshine Law.