Retired Preston Schools superintendent Wotring appointed to oversee Upshur district during investigation
Jun. 15—The reaching implications from Wednesday's state Board of Education meeting were still rattling down Thursday morning, as Steve Wotring settled in behind a temporary desk in the central offices of Upshur County Schools in Buckhannon.
Wotring, who recently retired as superintendent of Preston County's school district, was tapped to serve that same role in an emergency capacity following the contentious meeting, which ended with a takeover of Upshur's district — and the abrupt retirement announcement of State Schools Superintendent David Roach later that afternoon.
At the center of it all are allegations that the district mishandled federal COVID relief monies advanced over the past three years.
Upshur's district, as reported by Jeff Jenkins of West Virginia MetroNews, received some $16 million from the outlay over that time period.
Not all of those dollars, though, according to initial audits, have apparently been used for their intended purpose.
To date, as chronicled by Jenkins and discussed during that meeting, nearly $148, 000 was spent on staff retreats, restaurant outings and swimming pool passes.
Some $75, 000 of that amount went to "improper payments " for district staffers, who sometimes received the extra dollars in addition to their regular salary, according to the MetroNews story.
That's with the audits just beginning, state Board of Education President Paul Hardesty said, adding that anyone involved with any alleged mishandling could expect a stern response as the investigation continues.
"I am a firm believer that there will be people who will have to answer to federal and state authorities for criminal activity, " he said. "From what I see."
The now-outgoing state superintendent was the subject of both intense questioning by the board and chiding by the state board president — over a ranking Upshur County connection in Roach's office.
That stemmed from a review this past December by the state Department of Education's Office of Federal Programs, which routinely monitors federal spending of all 55 public school districts in West Virginia.
The Upshur discrepancies were discussed in a telephone briefing February between state Department of Education and Upshur school district officials — with then-state Deputy Schools Superintendent Sara Lewis-Stankus taking part in that session.
Before she was appointed by Roach to her state position, Lewis-Stankus, who retired last month, was superintendent of Upshur County Schools during the time frame the alleged misspending was said to have occurred.
Which was an obvious conflict of interest, Hardesty said.
Hardesty said the state board only learned of Upshur's issues when a letter written by concerned citizens in March was mailed to the state Department of Education, requesting forensic audits looking into the finances.
Last month, Roach notified the board of his intent to conduct a "special circumstances " review of the district, an administrative and disciplinary measure long on the books at the state Department of Education.
Hardesty said he was dismayed that neither he nor his fellow board members were notified by the state superintendent over concerns of the local district's finances until then.
"This is bush league, " he snapped.
"I apologize to the people of West Virginia because I am embarrassed with the way this is going right now."
Roach, who formerly headed the state School Building Authority, was appointed to the top administrative post by the board last August, after Clayton Burch requested a transfer to the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind in Romney, where he now serves as superintendent.
That same board will now meet in special session June 23 to accept Roach's retirement and to appoint his replacement.
Wotring didn't return telephone calls in time for this report.
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