At Monday night's district parent advisory council (DPAC) meeting, the McBride Elementary PAC brought forward a motion to replace New Westminster secretary-treasurer Brian Sommerfeldt.
The motion was moved and seconded, but then withdrawn before being passed because the council decided further discussion of the issue will be necessary, according to Maya Russell, a rep for the McBride DPAC.
"I was surprised to learn that one of the people at the meeting sent that on to the media, because the decision of the group had been that we needed to learn more before we did anything further," she said.
The council's concerns stem from the board's projected $2.2 million deficit for the 2012/13 school year as well as a $2.8 million deficit for the 2011/12 school year.
"There's no need for sweeping indictments or a witch hunt," said Russell. "But I do think, as a district, we do have an accountability problem where people don't seem to take responsibility for mistakes. But it's not clear to me, precisely, who that is (or) who that should be."
School board chair Michael Ewen said he had not heard about the motion brought forward Monday night, but suggested the responsibility for the budget rests solely with the board.
"We take that responsibility very seriously," he said.
Ewen also noted it is not the role of the DPAC to try to influence or make decisions regarding the running of the schools.
"So if that, in fact, is true, then they're in violation of the constitution," he said of the motion regarding Sommerfeldt that was temporarily put forward at the meeting.
Sommerfeldt has been secretary-treasurer since 2009.
Prior to that year, the position was held by Doug Wong, who was secretary-treasurer during the 2008/09 school year, when the district was dealing with a more than $3 million deficit.
David Yuen, a former Vancouver school district secretary treasurer, was brought in and paid $40,000 for his services that year, and Wong's contract was not renewed.
Russell said she is not sure whether the PAC will put forward the motion again at the next meeting, which is scheduled for Feb. 18.
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