Eric Lieske Short-Changes Davison Students, Parents, and Taxpayers

[David Edward Bloch]

Davison Schools Superintendent Eric Lieske has short-changed Hahn Intermediate and Middle School students, their parents, and the taxpayers of the school district regarding the Collins Field Track which is adjacent to the two schools.  This track is used by all fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in the Davison School District.  In June 2012 my letter to the Davison Index describing the deplorable and unsafe conditions of the Collins Field Track, prompted a response by Mr. Lieske that the track was scheduled for repairs in the summer.  I emailed Mr. Lieske asking what precisely was going to be done to the track and how much money he was going to spend on the track. I suggested that a completely new track with modern shock absorbing sun reflecting materials was necessary.  Mr. Lieske refused to answer any of my questions. 

I then made a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking answers.  The FOIA documents that I received showed that Mr. Lieske commissioned a consulting engineering company named Kingscott to make proposals regarding fixing the Collins Field Track.  Kingscott outlined four options with cost estimates, after the old surface was removed: (1) resurface with Bituminous - $90,000 (2) resurface with Acrylic- $130,000, (3) resurface with Cushioned Acrylic- $165,000, (4) resurface with a clay track - $115,000. From the FOIA invoice documents that Davison Schools sent me, Davison Schools paid the following: (1) Kennedy Excavating, $7,243 for track “edging, asphalt removal, seed and mulch”, (2) Kennedy Excavating, $10,250 for “rubberized surface removal”, (3) Delta Paving Inc., $9,176 for “prep & repair work”, (4) Delta Paving Inc., $19,900 for “Install 1,000 sq. feet of Geotrxtile nonwoven blanket…and resurface track with 1-1/4” 36-A Asphalt at Davison Middle School” and (5) McDonald Track Painting, $4,000 for painting the lines on the track.  In summary, the total cost to remove the old track and install the new one was: $50,569.

Therefore, Mr. Lieske removed the previous “rubberized track” and replaced it with a black asphalt track – a lower quality track!  Mr. Lieske also violated both the intent and the letter of Michigan State Law in not soliciting competitive bids per Sections 623a 1267 and 1274 of the Revised School Code (My FOIA request asked for bid documents but I received none).  This Michigan State code states that competitive bids must be obtained for “School building construction, addition, renovation, or repair” when the cost of the project exceeds a threshold of $21,825 for the 2011-2012 school year. Mr. Lieske violated the intent of the law when he “pieced” the job out to three contractors to stay under the $21,825 threshold.  However, Mr. Lieske violated the letter of the law when one vendor, Delta Paving Inc. submitted two invoices dated the same day (8/28/2012)– one for $9,176 and another for $19,900 for a total of $29,076.  Clearly the two invoices submitted by Delta Paving Inc. was an attempt by Mr. Lieske to conceal the fact that Davison Schools was violating the law because $29,076 exceeds the $21,825 threshold which the law requires competitive bidding for, which Mr. Lieske did not do.

Did the school district have the money for a modern cushioned acrylic track?  Yes they most certainly did. But, Mr Lieske decided instead to spend the money for teacher salary increases. In the March 17, 2011 edition of the Davison Index it was reported from an interview with Mr. Lieske, while he bemoaned a proposed cut in funding for the Davison School District (which did not happen), stated, “The proposed budget also anticipates . . . increases [of] more than $600,000 in salary steps per current master agreements.”  This means that Davison School teachers who earned master degrees in 2011 would automatically see their salaries increase; the cost of that increase to the school district is expected to be $600,000 per year and will continue for every year they are employed by the school district. Therefore, Mr. Lieske decided to resurface the Collins Field Track with inferior materials for $50,569 and force hundreds of young children to run on a hard, hot, smelly track for years, while at the very same time he gave $600,000 to the teachers for pay raises for earning master degrees! And, he will pay that amount every year plus more when other teachers earn their master degrees.  A new high quality track, a cushioned acrylic track, would have cost $165,000, or only 27% of what Mr. Lieske gave to the teachers in the first year of their pay raises.  This clearly shows where Mr. Lieske’s priorities truly reside when it comes to appropriating funds.

Also, a look at Davison Schools Budget shows ample funds for a quality track.  From Davison Schools website the “General Appropriations Resolution” dated June 19, 2012 shows an operating positive surplus carryover from the previous year of $6,887,020.  This budget “Resolution” designates a budget for the Davison Board of Education of $116,401!  Why does the Board of Education need such a large amount of money while young children are forced to run on a hard black track? 

 

Taxpayer money designated for students is being misappropriated by Mr. Lieske and the Davison Board of Education.  Where was the Davison Board of Education while all this was happening?  One answer lies with the Board President Kathleen Sudia.  Ms. Sudia recently gave Mr. Lieske a glowing endorsement in the Davison Index stating that Mr. Lieske has “exceeded all expectations.”  Misappropriating funds, breaking state law, and falling MEAP scores (see September 19, 2012 blog post at www.factcheckdavisonschools.blogspot.com); I’m afraid to ask Ms. Sudia what value system she and the Board use to set “expectations” in evaluating Superintendent Lieske’s performance?  It appears to be the Washington D.C. standard.