Over the last five years, state Rep. Keith Hall, D-Phelps, has earmarked at least $120,000 in state funds for the "Phelps History Center" in Pike County.
There is no Phelps History Center, as such. In the original budget request, Hall said Phelps High School would use the money to teach local history by producing "historical narratives and plays." The focus is on academics, Hall wrote.
A Herald-Leader review of spending records shows that roughly half the $117,770 spent so far — all from coal-severance tax dollars — went not to academic projects for the school's 430 students, but to sports gear, including basketball and volleyball uniforms, basketball micro-fleece travel outfits, a mascot costume and Nike and Adidas sneakers.Misappropriated funds? OK. Not too big a shock. At least the money went to the students.
But wait. Phelps High School officials defended their expenditures.
H-L reports that "about $27,000 went to buy a stage, lighting and sound equipment for the school's gym" - but get this.
How fortunate.The school bought sports gear using the money because some plays had a sports theme, said Debbie Stiltner, a history teacher and girls' athletics coach who helps oversee the project spending.
For example, Stiltner said, this year's spring production had a scene from Disney's popular High School Musical that featured basketball players. That required the school to buy a set of basketball uniforms for the actors, she said.
The uniforms — in Phelps High School colors — are now "on loan" to the basketball team, she said. The same is true for the volleyball uniforms, the mascot costume and other sports-related items purchased for plays and then transferred for use in athletics, she said...
What are the chances that the high school's theatre troupe would match the varsity basketball team in size; and shoe size? It was also fortune that the "historic" musical called for a dozen or so basketball and volleyball players.
The Herald leader asked a good question:
[W]hat puzzles us is not the fact that coal severance money is paying for Phelps High sports equipment. As noted earlier, that unfortunately is fairly common in state budgets.
What puzzles us is why, when other lawmakers' earmarks openly acknowledge money is being spent on sports, Hall and/or Phelps High officials chose to achieve that same end by the charade of claiming the money would fund a non-existent history center.
What insight into local history does that offer?
What bothers me about it is the lesson it teaches Phelps students.
Perhaps, it's not all that important what outsiders might think. But the kids at Phelps High School already know the truth. And they are now witnessing how the school administration is handling it. If it's dishonest, they know that too.
2 comments:
My beloved spouse distinguishes between "arf dogs" and "woof dogs." If he got into a fight with one, he'd expect to beat the ones that say arf and lose to the ones that say woof.
In the same sense of scale, I think this Phelps story counts as an "arf scandal." It's bad, but it isn't very big.
I agree, the original scandal is an "arf."
But letting your kids know that you are willing to lie out loud...? For me, that would be a "woof."
BTW, I love the scale. Any thoughts of adding a "yip?" ...for something really small...that you just know it's going to nip you.
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