Sullivan college system’s 1099 funds topped $520,000 for 2020 | Training
BLOUNTVILLE – What have a bill for $ 600 pumping septic tanks, payments to sports officials, more than $ 300,000 in school bus operator expenses, and a payment of over $ 37,000 to a student trust fund for special needs together?
All of them come with more than $ 520,000 paid by Sullivan County Schools primarily to private vendors and contractors who received federal tax Form 1099 in 2020.
The Times News obtained the list of payments through a public record application for the IRS Form 1099. Social Security numbers, as well as other personal information that is legally private, cannot be legally released.
An analysis of the Times News found the following:
• The list includes 65 payments totaling $ 520,262.62, including payments to 57 sports officials totaling $ 63,089.10 and payments in seven other categories totaling $ 457,173.52.
• The largest single payment on the list, including the highest paid private contractor, was $ 313,096.94 to S&R Buses Inc. for student transportation services. Deputy Superintendent Ingrid Deloach said the payment was made via a 1099 with a social security number rather than a business tax number. With other bus companies, payments are not recorded via 1099A forms, but via trade tax identification numbers.
• School board attorney Pat Hull came on the list with $ 67,077.88 in payments for legal services, as did attorney Lewis Thomas King with $ 21,367.70 in legal services. That makes Hull the highest paid person.
• A special trust fund payment of $ 37,916 went to a special education student, an agreement reached by the school system and the student’s mother in late 2020. Payments of $ 37,917 each should be made by September 1, 2021 and September 1, 2022.
Most of the payments went to a laundry of 57 referees and other sports officials.
The highest payment among sports officials was $ 2,651 to Tiffany Walling. Other amounts included $ 2,000 to Pat Grandelli, $ 1,935 to Jonathan Bright, $ 1,985 to Emily Hammes, $ 1,920 to James Stoots, and $ 1,800 to David Hinkle.
Among other payments, then-principal Evelyn Rafalowski, who became interim director since principal David Cox left earlier this year, received $ 12,000 for her $ 1,000 monthly advisor position that helped open Sullivan East Middle School , which took place in January 2020, and West Ridge High School, which opened on August 9 of this year.
In addition, Becky Haas received $ 2,000 for staff development and Barbara McElyea received $ 3,115 for student visual aid.
Another item on the list was a $ 600 payment to the Blountville Septic Service for “septic expressing”. Deloach said that was for pumping out the Sullivan East High School sewer system.
Images of the two pages with the information provided in response to the FOIA request can be viewed in the online version of this article, although the Times News has blacked out the name of the trust fund payment for students with special needs.
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