Coleman: Sabbs deal violates policy

Citing a “lack of oversight” into how consultants are hired by the Dougherty County School System, DCSS attorney Tommy Coleman issued a report to Board members Friday in which he issued an opinion that a $91,000 contract given to consultant Darrell Sabbs was in direct violation of established board policy.

The issue of Sabbs’ contract came to light last month when documents revealed that Federal Programs Director Betty Graper entered into the contract on behalf of the system on Sept. 30, 2011 without the required board approval.

At that point, Board Chairman James Bush instructed Coleman to look into the contract and report back to the board.

The two-page contract between Sabbs, community benefits coordinator at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, and the DCSS called for the establishment of a seven-month “Reading Right Program,” called the “Saturday Academy,” which was designed to improve reading skills of 80 DCSS fourth-graders who scored between 790 and 810 on CRCT reading areas.

The twice-monthly program was held at Darton College and employed six certified teachers and four paraprofessionals from the DCSS, who were paid $25 per hour.

The system, in turn, paid Sabbs $6,500 per session, or $13,000 per month for seven months.

Graper provided a quarterly budget for the program which included: