(Spirit Lake)– The Spirit Lake school board has rescinded its yearly lease with the BASS program. Superintendent Tim Grieves pointed out to the school board that they had earlier approved the agreement, but it was never signed, so it’s not binding. BASS – which stands for “Before and After School Services” continues to operate at the Spirit Lake middle school. The school board decided Tuesday evening they would continue to lease the multi-purpose room to BASS on a monthly basis.
BASS Director Meg Waltz was charged in June with misappropriating over 419 thousand dollars from the program, which received a portion of its income from grants. Waltz did not attend the school board meeting Tuesday and Grieves said Waltz no longer has contact with the children enrolled in BASS. He says the school has been approached by other individuals interested in starting a before and after school program, and says the district’s priority is making sure there’s a safe place for families to leave their children.
