Sentinel photos by MIKE GOSS
Former Juniata High School principal reacts to a comment during a due process hearing Tuesday evening at Tuscarora Junior High School.

MIFFLINTOWN — The Juniata County School District’s Board of Directors will make a final decision regarding whether to terminate the employment of former Juniata County High School principal Edward Apple at a date to be determined.

Testimony from a due process hearing wrapped up Tuesday night in which board members heard from eight witnesses.

Apple is currently on suspension without pay after receiving a statement of charges for taking steel tables from the now-closed Lack-Tuscarora Elementary School to his private hunting grounds on New Year’s Day to be used to process deer and for misconduct for using school district money from a “slush fund” to purchase a birthday lunch – which included alcoholic beverages – at the Red Zone, Mifflintown, during work hours.

Board members heard from Apple; Richard Meily, the district’s business manager; Danny Snyder, school board president; Heather Dreibelbis, nurse at Juniata High School; Kurt Condo, guidance counselor and athletic coach at Juniata High School; Steven Dreibelbis, former principal at Juniata High School; Shane Varner, a Pennsylvania state worker; and Jim Hartzell, a retired electronics store owner.

As the result of a lawsuit filed in June by Apple’s attorney, a court order found that board members Amy Wagner and Snyder could not sit in judgment of Apple.

Attorney Howard Kelin, of Lancaster-based law firm, Kegel, Kelin, Almy and Lord, advised the district’s board of directors. Apple’s attorney is Aaron Martin, of Harrisburg-based Mette, Evans and Woodside. Lewistown Attorney Orris Knepp advised the superintendent.

Martin began Tuesday’s hearing by picking up from last week’s questioning of Apple about a birthday lunch at the Red Zone on June 19.

Apple testified that he originally planned to take his whole birthday off, but office staff wanted to take him out for lunch.

While at the Red Zone, he recalled having two beers and one shot. He said the waitress — who he said was a former student — provided the shot for free.

Apple testified that Juniata High School’s office secretary, Sabrina Shipp, handled payment for the meal, but he did not know where the money came from and that he was the last one to leave the table. He stated that he did not see a bill and that he put between $20 and $35 on the table after everyone left to cover his portion.

Regarding concern that he had been drinking alcohol while on school district time, Apple testified that he told Shipp, who handled entering his time into the time clock system, that he would be taking the rest of the afternoon off.

Apple testified that when he told Shipp that he would be taking the afternoon off, she “did not acknowledge” him and also that he did not follow up with her to make sure she entered the information correctly.

He also testified that he had four vacation days that went unused at the end of the school year.

Apple testified he did not personally have access to the petty cash fund, that he never saw any paperwork regarding an audit of the fund and that he was unaware that there was a petty cash fund policy.

Regarding charges made by the school district that include taking district property to use for personal use, Apple testified that he did take two stainless steel tables, a meat slicer and pots and pans to his private hunting lands on Jan. 1 with former Juniata County School District Superintendent Keith Yarger, but that he did not intend to use them for personal use.

Last week, Apple testified that he received a text message on New Year’s Day from Yarger asking him to go with Yarger to Lack-Tuscarora Elementary School to look in classrooms to see what items could be of use in other schools. Apple testified that Yarger told him any items left in Lack-Tuscarora Elementary School would be considered “junk.”

Apple maintained Tuesday that he intended the items to be used for the concession stands at Juniata High School and for the booster clubs.

He testified that he did not have any personal use for the items, and stated that it was Yarger’s intention to use the tables to process deer. He stated that after the tables were loaded in the school district truck, Yarger drove the two of them to Apple’s land, where they stored the tables.

“It was his intention to use them as meat tables…not mine,” he said.

Apple testified last week that neither he, nor Yarger, had a key to put the items in one of the school buildings for storage at the time.

Apple said he was aware that a policy for the disposal of surplus property existed, but that he was following the direction of Yarger.

Apple testified that he did not make Ben Fausey — who served as principal of Juniata High School at that time — aware that he was storing the tables on his land, or any other administrator, but that he made references about them to administrators, including Yarger.

Meily, who has served as the district’s business manager for eight years, testified that he became aware of the petty cash fund policy shortly after he started with the district. He stated that it was his responsibility to audit the fund, but that Juniata High School did not have a petty cash fund recorded with the district.

Heather Dreibelbis, nurse at Juniata High School, testified that she would use the petty cash fund at Juniata High School for items like diabetic supplies and other items that may be needed in the nurses office. She testified that she would get the money from Shipp.

Steven Dreibelbis, retired Juniata High School principal, testified that the petty cash fund, also known as the “mousy mousy” fund, came to being when he was principal to purchase small items because the process to get funds from the district usually took three to four days.

He stated that a petty cash fund policy was created around 2004 and that there was never any discussion about concerns about the fund.

Shane Varner testified that he has known Apple for more than 35 years and that he has a positive reputation in the community, adding that he knows him to be “honest, loyal and trustworthy.”

He stated that the charges against him are inconsistent with Apple’s reputation.

Hartzell, who served on the school board between 2004 and 2008, testified that Apple was “the most knowledgeable person in the district while I was on the board.”

He stated that he knows Apple to be “very upright. I know he cares more about the students in the school district than anyone else in administration.”

The board will decide whether to retain Apple’s employment with the district at a date that was not known as of press time Tuesday. The next board of directors meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 11.