Finances

Q. Why did the assistant superintendent for business investigation cost so much?

A. Although $40,000 is a great deal of money, it is not atypical when dealing with school personnel issues. To protect all parties, any staff inquiry must be thorough and unbiased, both in the investigation and in its findings. To ensure the integrity of the investigation, the board of education sought an experienced school attorney with no ties to the district. The BOE hired attorney Micheala Perrotto, a labor relations specialist with the Office of Personnel Relations at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES. She charged $175 per hour plus expenses*a standard rate for municipal and school work. This work was  not a BOCES service and was, therefore, not eligible for BOCES reimbursement. The final bill included expenses related to travel to Massena, interviews, telephone charges, research and writing the final report.