By Carol Anders Correspondent
LAKEVILLE — A few patrons of the Union-North School Corporation forwarded a petition to the State Board of Accounts last week asking for an audit of the corporation’s financial records.
According to one of those involved, George Moffett, they only needed 25 signatures to submit a petition, but they were able to gather approximately 100 signatures.

Moffett said the concern over the finances started when Superintendent Larry Phillips testified before the DLGF (Department of Local Government and Finance) on a proposed building project that the schools had no debt. Moffett contends that the school corporation was $4 million in debt at the time.
Everett Garrett said he has tried to get an answer to the question of how much the school is in debt, but was gaveled down when he approached the subject at a school board meeting.
“I also made an attempt to place the financial condition on the board agenda, but the request was denied by present Superintendent Larry Phillips,” Garrett said. He made the request by telephone and did not submit a written request, he said.
Phillips announced his intention to retire effective April 30, 2009. A replacement has not been named as yet.
Board President Larry Ort contends that the corporation is $3 million in debt, not $4 million. At a board meeting in March, Ort said, “We have borrowed money to pay ongoing expenses since we haven’t gotten all of our money from St. Joseph County.”
Moffett currently has a litigation filed with the Indiana Board Tax Review. According to Moffett, he believes the DLGF was not given the correct facts at a hearing on a proposed $19.6 million dollar building project.
That project, which includes renovation to the existing senior-junior high school and elementary school and construction of an 83,600 square-foot building for grades 5 through 8, cannot move forward until the matter is settled.
Moffett said he has submitted his brief to the state attorney’s office. He said that office has 30 days to respond and then he has another 30 days to respond.
“After that they will set a trial date,” Moffet said.
Bond sale for the project has also been delayed. Ort contends that there has been a substantial capital interest loss due to the litigation.
The school board continues to make payments to the architects designing the project, Hebard and Hebard of South Bend. They have also hired the legal services of Ice Miller in Indianapolis.
Ort said, “That means we don’t have as much money to put into the project.”
The original ground breaking date was April of 2008. It was put on hold when several patrons forced a remonstrance against the project. At this point, if the project moves forward, construction could be delayed until the end of 2010.