LARWILL – Email communications between former Whitko Superintendent Steve Clason, Chief of Operations Dirk Felger and Dana Wannemacher, president of Barton Coe Vilamaa architects, and other individuals were released on a Whitko Budget Discussions Facebook page Saturday.
Obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the Facebook post takes readers to a Google Drive link with a dozen documents, some detailing how to make the former middle school property in Larwill seem more attractive than the high school property in South Whitley for a junior-senior high school consolidation by increasing costs to upgrade the high school by 20 percent to each item.
On Feb. 21, Wannemacher wrote: “Dirk, Does this look better? I added the 20% multiplier to all the items at the bottom of the high school list except the auditorium. It matches the number at the middle school. I also deleted all the Phase I stuff at the middle school except the AP’s as I don’t see them anywhere else. I’m still going to say that we need to vet these together along with a better definition of what each one is so that everyone is on the same page with no misunderstandings. Thanks. Dana Wannemacher, AIA.”
Another email from Clason to administrative assistant Amy Christoffel indicates there is an agenda the public doesn’t see. This agenda includes sample motions for the board members to read aloud prior to a vote.
Current Superintendent Dr. Brandon Penrod reacted swiftly to the disclosures, issuing a statement for social media on Monday on Whitko Community Schools’ Facebook page indicating neither he nor the current board members had seen any of the posted emails.
The school administration is investigating the circumstances surrounding the emails’ composition and content. Any current employee involved in the creation of the emails has been placed on administrative leave, according to Penrod’s release.
“Everyone should understand, any abuse or mishandling of taxpayer money cannot and will not be tolerated by Whitko Community Schools,” Penrod wrote. “Additionally, all Whitko Community Schools employees are expected to be accurate, candid and honest in handling any aspect of school business.”
