Ovid-Elsie Area Schools superintendent's use of school district fuel under investigation

ELSIE — Ovid-Elsie Area Schools' superintendent is the subject of an investigation over accusations he accessed school district fuel for personal use. 

According to the district's school board president, about three weeks ago, a community member shared a complaint with the district alleging that Superintendent Ryan Cunningham had been filling his personal vehicle’s tank with school district fuel for several years. 

In response to the allegations, the Ovid-Elsie Area Schools Board of Education hired a third-party company, Recon Management, to probe whether Cunningham inappropriately filled his vehicle with school district fuel. 

“While Recon established that Dr. Cunningham’s use of district fuel was a past practice, it appears that Dr. Cunningham’s actions may implicate existing legal standards,” said Eric Jones, Ovid-Elsie Area Schools’ Board of Education president, in a written statement released Monday. “Consequently, the board will take all necessary steps to comply with existing law and will follow up with the community if there are any further developments regarding this matter.”

It is unclear what “may implicate legal standards,” means. Jones declined to explain.

“Per my statement, we are still working through the process with legal entities and will provide an update at our next board meeting,” Jones said in an email Wednesday. 

Cunningham said he believed he was following school district policy when it came to fuel use. The superintendent is allowed use school fuel when on school business, but he is limited to one tank fill-up per week, he said. 

It’s a school district practice that was passed down to him verbally and has been in place for almost 20 years, according to Cunningham. 

“To be honest, the report has not been released by the board yet, thus, I have not been privy to the contents of the report,” Cunningham said in an email. “I have been verbally told that the findings completely exonerate me from any wrongdoing or malicious intent.  I will continue to comply with recommendations from our legal counsel and as a district we will adjust our practices accordingly.”

Further updates are expected at the next Board of Education meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for July 20.

Cunningham succeeded former Superintendent Wayne Petroelje in 2010. Cunningham had been the Leonard Elementary School principal prior to taking over.

Contact Mark Johnson at (517) 377-1026 or majohnson2@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMarkJohnson.