State Auditors in Koines Case

Island Activates New State Law for Investigating
‘Irregularities' in Towns, School Districts; Will Search Go
Deeper?

By CHRIS BURRELL

After months of saying they wanted to put this controversy in the
past, high school leaders have called on state auditors to wade into the
Peter Koines scandal and issue a decision on whether they dug deeply
enough into the case of the culinary arts teacher who stole school
equipment, student funds and food supplies.

The regional high school committee voted unanimously Monday night to
invite the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) to take a look at the
school's own investigation into the actions of Mr. Koines, a
culinary teacher for 13 years who admitted in court last August to five
counts of larceny.

The request will amount to something of a report card from the state
agency - with one possible upshot being a recommendation for a
state audit of the Vineyard high school.

"We want them to come down and audit our work, check what
we've done and give us a reading on whether or not we have
sufficiently examined our books or whether we should go further,"
said Peg Regan, principal of the Martha's Vineyard Regional High
School. "This is a really appropriate thing to do."

Her comments and action by the school committee came less than a
month after Islanders turned out in large numbers at a public meeting
and demanded a new and comprehensive audit related to the thefts.

Tisbury officials helped broker the contact with the OSA, telling
school leaders about a new state law and pilot program that allows state
auditors to investigate "suspected irregularities or illegal
acts" in towns or regional school districts.

Mrs. Regan has already spoken with officials at the OSA and said the
Vineyard high school would be the first to try out the new law.
"We're the first people to petition them for this. We would
be the test case," she told the school board.

Responsive to the public outcry, school committee members this week
said they welcomed the proposal to bring in experts from the state and
take a fresh look at the evidences.

"The feeling from the community is that we should have some
form of audit," said Leslie Baynes, school committee member from
Edgartown. "It gives us an independent set of eyes."

"I'm delighted to see this. It's a terrific first
step," said Susan Parker, school board representative from
Chilmark.

The initial examination by the state auditor's office will not
cost the high school any money, but an audit by the agency
wouldn't come for free.

"Expenses for such an audit would be borne by the school or
towns with funds deposited upfront," said state auditor spokesman
Glenn Briere.

He added that in cases when a district attorney requests an
investigator from the OSA, the cost of the service is covered by the
state.

For now, school committee members are clearly treating their request
as a first phase move. Mr. Briere said the cost of state audits vary
widely.

Two months ago, Chris Rogers, the accountant who prepares the annual
audit for the regional high school, advised Vineyard schools
superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash that the cost of a full audit ran the
risk of diminishing returns, possibly costing more money to produce than
any new funds found to be stolen.

But at an Oct. 27 meeting which drew almost 100 people, that
argument was attacked. Tisbury finance committee member Don Amaral stood
up at that meeting, urging the school committee to consider
commissioning an independent audit in order to put the case to rest.

This week, Mrs. Regan credited Mr. Amaral with bringing the new
state law to her attention. Mr. Amaral later acknowledged Tisbury town
clerk Marion Mudge's effort to uncover information about the
legislation which was passed last July.

Mr. Amaral told the Gazette yesterday that school leaders need to
create a feeling of trust. "They want to move ahead, but I
don't think you can move ahead before you do this [audit]. You
need to go into more depth," he said.

He added, "There's a great deal of uneasiness on the
Island about what really did happen."

Mr. Cash came under fire last month for his role in dealing with Mr.
Koines. Some people at the October meeting accused the superintendent of
failing to denounce the actions of the teacher. They said he was trying
to diminish the magnitude of the crime.

Indeed, just days before the Oct. 27 meeting - the first time
high school leaders had taken up the Koines case in a public forum
- Mr. Cash released a sheaf of documents from his own inquiry
which he said proved Mr. Koines had stolen far less than police had
determined in their investigation.

Shortly after Oak Bluffs police searched Mr. Koines's house
and then arrested him on July 11, they issued a press release saying
that their three-week investigation found that the teacher had stolen
$7,000 worth of school-owned equipment and another $4,000 in food
supplies which he used for his private pie business.

By mid-August, after an initial audit of the culinary program
- completed by Mr. Rogers - police said Mr. Koines had
pocketed $19,000 in checks from the Martha's Vineyard Rod &
Gun Club, payment for catch-and-release tournament breakfasts prepared
by the high school culinary students every June.

But Mr. Cash said his own investigation into the case against Mr.
Koines showed that he had stolen only $1,500 worth of equipment and that
much of the Rod & Gun Club money actually went to vendors and to
students who worked for the events.

Now, some of those questions could be left for state auditors to
answer.

Mr. Koines was ordered to pay $20,000 back to the regional high
school. He has already paid back half and must pay the remainder by
February of 2005, the end of his probation term.

The former teacher, who admitted to the facts of the case when he
appeared in Edgartown District Court in late August, was also ordered to
perform more than 1,000 hours of community service. His case was
continued without a finding for 18 months.

He will have a clean slate after that time if he meets the terms of
the pay-back and stays out of legal trouble.

Last month, Mr. Koines faced the crowd at the high school library
and apologized. Some called for compassion and an end to the
controversy. Doug Debettencourt, a high school math teacher who sat next
to Mr. Koines, said, "He's been through a living
hell."

But the words left ringing in the ears of high school officials
- the ones calling for more action and more accountability -
were clearly louder.

In just two weeks, high school leaders will be unveiling next
year's budget at a meeting of the all-Island selectmen, looking
for support.

"They want to create a feeling of trust here," said Mr.
Amaral. "That won't happen until they clear the air."