Joint Town School Session Ends Without Statement

The selectmen's chairman said last night that there would be a joint statement within 24 hours from town and School District officials regarding the subject of individual executive sessions and their joint session on Thursday.

On Thursday officials met behind closed doors in the selectmen's room at Town Hall for almost two hours, again for the purpose of discussing a possible criminal matter.

"To investigate charges of criminal conduct or to discuss the filing of criminal complaints," reads the agenda for the posted meeting.

Asked if there was consensus between the school and town on the matter, and when the auditors' report would be released to the public, the selectmen's Chairman Matt Strauss said he had no comment and reiterated that a joint statement would be released within 24 hours.

The chairman said before the session, on Wednesday, that he hoped the two panels would come to a decision on Thursday — though he did not know if a statement would be made immediately after the session.

The matter had been reviewed thoroughly, he said 

Officials had received a draft of the auditors' report earlier, and Thursday they expected to receive a finished product.

Both selectmen and the School Committee have held multiple nonpublic sessions on the topic.

Again, on Thursday, the town's auditors were present, so was the town's lawyer.

Those in attendance also included Acting Town Administrator Dave Castellarin, Police Chief Ron Madigan, Selectmen Barry Greenfield, Jill Sullivan and David Van Dam, Superintendent of Schools Lynne Celli, School Committee Chairman Jacqueline Kinney, and School Committee members Larry Beaupre and Rick Kraft.

Earlier, the Superintendent of Schools released a prepared statement regarding the audit.

"Theand the School Department have requested the town’s auditing firm conduct a forensic audit,” Superintendent Lynne Celli said. 

Forensic audits typically gather information that can be used in court.