SPECIAL REPORT: Manipulation or Malpractice?

Last night's Governor Mifflin School Board budget vote was sold to directors as a legal requirement. It wasn't. The Mifflin Report breaks down 24 P.S. § 6-687 — the Pennsylvania School Code section the administration cites — and shows that the law requires a public inspection period before final action, NOT a mandatory 'Yes' vote on any specific budget version. When superintendents tell elected officials they 'have to' vote yes, that is either manipulation or malpractice. We call for an immediate investigation into the legal advice being provided to the Board.

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The claim that board members "had" to vote yes to satisfy the law is not just a difference of opinion — it is a legal fabrication . If the administration is intentionally misrepresenting the law to coerce the board, we are moving past "bad policy" and into the territory of legal malpractice . 1. The Law They Aren't Telling You: 24 P.S. § 6-687 The administration often hides behind the Pennsylvania Public School Code , specifically Section 6-687 , to pressure directors. But let's look at the actual language of the statute: The Requirement 24 P.S. § 6-687(a)(1) The board is required to prepare a proposed budget and make it available for public inspection. The "Final Action" Bar What the statute actually says "Final action shall not be taken on any proposed budget that has not been... made available for public inspection." The legal distinction: the law requires the existence of a public inspection period before a final vote. It does NOT mandate that a director must vote "Yes" to a specific version of a budget to trigger that period. If a budget proposal fails, the administration is legally required to present a new version that the board can approve. By claiming a "Yes" vote is mandatory, the administration is effectively stripping elected officials of their voting rights. 2. Breaking the Law: Deception and Fiduciary Breach Could the district be breaking the law? When an administration provides false legal "requirements" to an elected body, they risk violating the very principles of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act and the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act . Misleading an Elected Body 24 P.S. § 3-318 — Neglect of Duty School directors can be removed from office for "neglect of duty." If directors are voting "Yes" based on false legal premises provided by the Superintendent, they are neglecting their duty to exercise independent judgment and fiscal oversight. Complicity vs. Manipulation Either way, the taxpayer loses If the board knows the "requirement to vote yes" is a lie and uses it as a shield to avoid taxpayer anger, they are complicit . If they actually believe it , they are being manipulated . 3. The Evidence of Last Night's Failure Last night's vote proves that the board has abandoned its role as a Good Steward of taxpayer money. Here is what they were told vs. what the law actually says: The Administrative Claim The Legal Reality "You must vote yes to post the budget." FALSE You must approve a budget you support so it can be posted. If you don't support it, vote NO and demand a better one. "We will miss the state deadline if we don't vote yes now." FALSE The deadline is June 30 . A "No" vote in May simply forces the administration to work through the weekend to fix the numbers. "This is just a procedural step." FALSE This is the step that authorizes the administration to begin the path toward a final tax increase. 4. A Board in Capture When Dr. Hess tells the board they "have to vote yes," and the board complies, the chain of command has been inverted. The board is the boss of the Superintendent — not the other way around. By failing to challenge this "legal" ultimatum, the board has shown they are either: Too intimidated to question the administration's narrative. Too uneducated on the School Code to know they are being misled. Too willing to prioritize administrative convenience over resident tax burdens. The Verdict The Mifflin Report calls for an immediate investigation into the legal advice being provided to the board. If the administration is using "legal requirements" as a tool to force tax increases or infrastructure spending without true board approval, they aren't just managing the district — they are subverting the democratic process . To the Board: You were elected to represent the people of Shillington, Cumru, Kenhorst, Brecknock, and Mohnton . Last night, you represented the administration. Whose side are you on?