The Elizabethton City School Board convened Tuesday in the Mack Pierce Boardroom located at the Central Office with a standing room only crowd and what appeared to be a routine agenda that took a surprising turn when the board reached the school superintendent’s report portion of the meeting before returning to regular business.

City Schools Director Corey Gardenhour delivered a report that involved an alleged improper sale of city-owned scrap metal by unnamed employees of the city school’s maintenance department.

Gardenhour said that his report was the result of a 10-week-long investigation and was initiated after he discovered that board member Eddie Pless had started an independent review into the same matter.

Gardenhour, reading from his report, said that the practice of selling scrap metal began in 2013 and ended in January 2018.

“The maintenance department held cash obtained by the sale of scrap metal in a petty cash fund to periodically reward extra effort on behalf of the maintenance department with most of the occurrences being at Christmas,” said Gardenhour. “This came in the form of four to six meals for the maintenance staff, some work polo shorts, coffee, water and a few sodas. Although it is difficult to determine the amount of scrap metal sold per weight, records of scrap metal dealers show that approximately $700 was unaccounted for, when comparing receipts from the recyclers to district folks. This approximately had matched what had been collected and spent for rewards.”

Gardenhour asserted that the rewards program was approved by district administration because it was for employees collectively and not for direct personal gain for individuals. However, he said that the employees involved would receive “extra training” even though it had been allowed.

Pless said the rewards program violated policy and procedure and that he wanted that on record.

The board then turned to regular business, which included passing several agenda items, the first of which was approving the 2019 to 2020 city school budget. The budget included a 1.5 percent pay raise for city school employees. Even though the budget passed, there was one objection made by Danny O’Quinn regarding the provision of $35,000 for a dual enrollment program.

Jabez Complete Lawn Care was retained at a bid of $70,000 for the period of July 2019 to June 30, 2020. There was a lower bid, but it was rescinded by the company because of “family issues.”