The Board of Education for the Mount Vernon City School District decided Monday night to reassign the school chief.
It happens just days after the district made it known that a federal finance investigation was focused on it.
The board decided to suspend Waveline Bennett-Conroy with pay and appoint Dr. Kim Smith as its acting superintendent of schools.
Monday night, Dr. Smith took the oath of office.
The district disclosed last Friday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is investigating how it used federal grant money. Since 2016, community activists have questioned how the district has handled more than $8 million.
They have also charged the district with giving Wellcore/Just Inspire—which also employs Bennett-son—about Conroy’s 50 grants without holding a competitive process.
After the meeting, Save Mount Vernon’s founder Jesse Van Lew spoke with News 12.
“There are exclamation points. It raises red flags. Although I don’t say you can’t, how can you support that? Let’s see where the investigation goes if we leave it alone “affirms Van Lew.
