Mount Vernon School Board Confirms Documents Were Subpoenaed By Feds

MOUNT VERNON, NY — The beleaguered Mount Vernon School District confirmed today that federal prosecutors have asked for documents related to federal grants received by the school system.

In October, the district hired an investigator to look into accusations of corruption made by community groups.

The Save Mount Vernon group drew attention to the school district’s paying $8 million since 2015 to the consulting company Wellcore/Just Inspire and said that a relative of Superintendent Waveline Bennett-Conroy is the owner of Just Inspire, raising serious concerns.

Both the school board and Bennett-Conroy have said answers are deserved to the questions raised by Save Mount Vernon.

See Also: Mt. Vernon Schools Hire Investigator To Look Into Consulting Firm

"We have been made aware that the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has served a civil investigative demand on the Mount Vernon City School District as well as Superintendent Waveline Bennett-Conroy for records associated with grants that the federal government previously issued to the district," The Mount Vernon City Board of Education said in a statement released on Friday. "The Board of Education is supportive of this civil investigation and will fully cooperate with the US Attorney’s Office. In early November 2022, the Board of Education commenced an audit related to grant services through the hiring of an outside consultant. That process is ongoing and has yet to be completed. We look forward to the results, which will be shared with our community and all outside agencies as appropriate."

In January, the school district was singled out by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli who designated the Mount Vernon City School District as the only one in the state under "significant financial stress."

See: Mount Vernon Only School District In NY Rated 'Under Significant Financial Stress'

More recently, the school district says that the significant financial stress is due, at least in part, to not ever receiving the tax money it is owed by the City of Mount Vernon. The district contends it is owed $11.7 million in property taxes that should have been set aside for the schools.

See: Mount Vernon Schools Shorted $11.7M Of Desperately Needed Funds

The city did not dispute the school district's claim to the money, but Mount Vernon Comptroller Darren Morton asked for patience and vowed to work with the district.

City and school district officials, however, have since traded accusations of unethical behavior and have called on state officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James to help resolve the dispute.

In a Feb. 6, letter to AG James and Comptroller DiNapoli, Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, Mount Vernon Comptroller Darren Morton and City Council President Danielle Browne chided school district officials for mischaracterizing the nature of the tax revenue shortfall.

"We have engaged with the school district privately on how to proceed with these monies unpaid, so it was shocking to see a strongly worded letter sent to your offices and promoted to news outlets while discussions were ongoing," the letter reads. "Nonetheless, we stand ready to work with your offices and the school district to rectify this issue as quickly as possible for the betterment of all Mount Vernon residents. "