According to a story in The Forecaster (“Scarborough councilors: Schools failed to disclose cause of lost state aid”), Scarborough’s school superintendent and School Board members failed to disclose the reason for a loss of $706,000 in state subsidy. They all deny that the omission was intentionally done. Yeah, right. In the military that would be called dereliction of duty and the offender would pay a price.

It’s not as if the board was unaware; several members traveled to Augusta to try to get the funding restored. All that had to be done was add an asterisk to the line for that item in the printed budget and then explain it in a footnote. Instead, the superintendent and board members decided to cover it up until after the vote to approve the school budget.

I find Superintendent Entwistle’s comment, “No one can make heads or tail of (EPS), even the DOE” to be both arrogant and stupid. Let’s just say Entwistle comes across as arrogantly stupid. Obviously, someone did figure it all out and took the improperly spent monies back.

I suggest that the Town Council declare the vote null and void and order another vote. I further suggest that before that vote the school budget be reduced a further $706,000.

What to cut? For starters, Scarborough has eight guidance counselors where they need two. Scarborough has 10 social workers where they need zero. The School Department is grossly overstaffed and needs a serious downsizing. Those cuts would not affect classrooms.

Harry White
Scarborough