ADAMS TWP — The scandal in April that had the executive director of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV resign over allegations of misusing the agency’s credit card has resulted in changes in the Mars School District 45 miles away.

The Mars School Board last week voted on new whistle-blower and fraud policies and revisions of the district’s purchasing procedures policies.

School board President Dayle Ferguson, who is an Intermediate Unit board member, explained that she talked with other Mars board members about a month ago regarding a district policy review based on the alleged misconduct of Cecelia Yauger, the Intermediate Unit’s former executive director.

Yauger faces felony charges of theft and unauthorized use of an access device. Authorities suspect that she charged more than $72,000 in personal items on a credit card meant only for her work-related expenses.

The Intermediate Unit board in April accepted Yauger’s resignation, with Ferguson casting the lone dissenting vote because she said a termination would have been more appropriate.

Ferguson said she brought to Mars some of the policy work ongoing at the Intermediate Unit since the Yauger incident. She asked district solicitor Tom King; business manager Jill Swaney, and Superintendent Jim Budzilek to look at those policies and make changes to make them specific to Mars.

“What is posted now is the result of the board’s desire to re-evaluate our policies,” Ferguson said.

The whistle-blower policy provides protection to district employees who report when they see something suspicious without the fear of retribution.

“We have a responsibility to protect our district’s assets,” Ferguson said.

She said in the Intermediate Unit situation, a public right-to-know request resulted in an investigation into Yauger’s purchases because the organization did not have fraud, whistle-blower or purchase policies.

“Had there been a whistle-blower policy in place, perhaps the sequence of events would have occurred differently,” Ferguson said.

The new fraud policy at Mars provides documentation that everyone associated with the district will take responsibility to ensure the district’s assets are used appropriately.

It also lists rules and assigns responsibility to specific individuals.

She said the fraud and whistle-blower policies go hand-in-hand.

“Having these policies in place could act as a deterrent, in that every level shares the responsibility for (divulging) suspicious activity,” Ferguson said.

Tighter language was also added to the purchasing procedures policies to reflect responsibilities that have changed as a result of the district’s growth, Ferguson said.

“We wanted to make sure (those policies) reflected current practices,” she said.

Ferguson stressed that no misconduct is suspected in the district; rather, the school board wanted to take pre-emptive steps.

“It’s a package deal, and the point of bringing (the new policies) forward is so the board and administration will understand their roles and responsibilities,” Ferguson said. “And we wanted to tighten up language in our existing policies to best protect and safeguard our district’s assets.”

She said all proposed and revised policies are posted on the district’s website, www.marsk12.org, and in the administration office for 30 days before the board’s final vote on them. The district accepts comments on all posted policies during that time.

“We encourage our parents, students, staff and community to read and comment on the posted policies,” Ferguson said.

Budzilek lauded Ferguson and the board for initiating the policies.

“The board was being very proactive,” he said. “They’re a big organization, and things like this can happen.”