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BREAKING NEWS: Egbert Stang out as Pembina Hills Supt.

Egbert Stang is no longer superintendent of the Pembina Hills school division. A four-sentence media release issued late Monday, Dec. 5, said Stang's last day with the division was Sunday, Dec. 4. It did not say if Stang resigned, or was terminated.
Former Pembina Hills Supt. Egbert Stang.
Former Pembina Hills Supt. Egbert Stang.

Egbert Stang is no longer superintendent of the Pembina Hills school division.

A four-sentence media release issued late Monday, Dec. 5, said Stang's last day with the division was Sunday, Dec. 4. It did not say if Stang resigned, or was terminated.

Contacted Tuesday, board chairman Doug Fleming wouldn't say why Stang is no longer an employee. The Westlock News has learned that Stang was present at the division's annual Christmas party held Saturday, Dec. 3, in Westlock.

The Westlock News and Barrhead Leader attempted to contact Stang, but were unsuccessful.

"I can't make a comment on that because it's back to that whole question of privacy and confidentiality and it's a personnel matter. We're not in a position to make a comment. That's the law of the land,” said Fleming, adding that trustees are expected to discuss filling the superintendent's chair sometime in 2012.

"It really has nothing to do with the teachers and the work that they're doing on behalf of kids. Our kids continue to do well in school, as you saw by the annual education results report. Our teachers are teaching and that's our main focus and that's what we need to continue to focus on.”

Senior administrators throughout the school division were notified that Stang was no longer an employee via videoconference on Monday morning and were told to inform staff that afternoon. In the interim, deputy Supt. Colleen Symyrozum-Watt will serve as division boss.

This announcement comes just over a year after former Supt. Richard Harvey parted ways with Pembina Hills. The division has never said whether Harvey resigned, or was terminated.

Asked point blank if the two cases are related, Fleming paused, then answered, "No.”

Stang, whose hiring announcement was made in May 2010, was initially supposed to take over from Harvey at the end of 2010. Due to Harvey's departure at the end of October 2010, Stang began his tenure with Pembina Hills Nov. 1, 2010.

Stang holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Regina and a Master of Education from the University of Oregon.

Previously, Stang served as superintendent of the Elk Island Public School Division for three years. Prior to that he also headed the Clearview School Division and taught at schools outside of Alberta.

Meanwhile the year-old investigation into a fraud allegation at the Pembina Hills school division headquarters is still underway and is not complete as was previously reported, Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds said recently.

The revelation comes as a surprise following a story that ran in the Aug. 15 Westlock News, in which Dodds said that the Commercial Crimes Unit had forwarded a report and that the matter was now in the Crown prosecutor's hands and the prosecutor would determine if charges would be laid.

Jeff Morrison, the Chief Crown Prosecutor in this jurisdiction, confirmed his office had not received a report as of last Friday, Dec. 2.

"I can tell you the matter has not been sent to us for review,” he said. "The matter currently lies for … further investigation with Commercial Crimes, with "K” Division.”

Morrison also said the decision to lay charges rests with the RCMP, although the Crown prosecutor's office can provide advice to police agencies upon request.

"The decision to lay charges or not lay charges rests solely with the RCMP,” he said.

Dodds did not say last week how he came to be under the impression that a report was sent to Morrison's office in August.

"I don't recall the specifics of our conversation in August,” he said in an e-mail, "if I stated that a report had been forwarded I was mis-informed (sic).”

In fact the investigation, which began Nov. 5, 2010, is still active. Dodds said since that is the case he cannot comment further on it.

Barrhead RCMP initiated the investigation, which relates to an expense account of unnamed employee of the division.

Symyrozum-Watt has not commented on the fraud investigation except to say that about 750 Pembina Hills employees have expense accounts.

Dodds has said previously that as is the case with any active investigation, names would be released only if and when charges are laid.

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