UPSHUR COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — Turmoil in the Upshur County school system could impact the future of West Virginia’s superintendent of schools.

ESSER is short for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund – a $190 billion federal program designed to help students and educators navigate the COVID-19 pandemic – which sent $761 million to West Virginia.

However, there have been problems nationwide improper purchases and instances of fraud due to how school districts spent that money, and Upshur County could soon be added to that list.

A routine Local Education Agency Monitoring Report on ESSER spending in Upshur County stemming from a visit by auditors in February of this year details several instances of noncompliance.

The problem doesn't rest merely within the north central West Virginia school system. It's also having a major impact on the state's department of education, reaching all the way to the top and the office of West Virginia Superintendent of Schools David Roach.

Upshur County has seven elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and one technical school all serving 3,700 students.

LEA monitoring shows the county's noncompliance with ESSER spending on several fronts, including no-bid contracts, ineligible entertainment purchases, room rentals and employee reimbursements. It all adds up to more than $131,000.

But that may just be the tip of the financial iceberg.

Dr. Sara Lewis-Stankus was Upshur County's Superintendent of Schools during the period, when ESSER spending was examined. She left that job in August of last year when Roach hired her to be one of his two deputy state superintendents.

It turned out Stankus had a very short stint with the state department. Her last day in the office was a month ago on May 12. She planned to use leave time to officially retire June 30.

Sources within the West Virginia Department of Education provided Eyewitness News with an email from Roach to members of the state school board dated last Wednesday. Roach said after being briefed by his accountability team about the Upshur situation: "I decided to immediately suspend Dr. Stankus without pay through the remainder of her scheduled employment, June 30, 2023.

“Specifically information gathered during the initial stages of the special circumstances review revealed evidence regarding misuse of federal, state and local funds which occurred during a period in which Dr. Stankus was the Upshur County Superintendent of Schools,” Roach continued. “Because of my concerns about the evidence received to date, I decided that suspension of her employment was warranted."

Roach went on to say that upon hearing of his decision, Stankus resigned from her employment effective immediately.

Eyewitness News has learned from education department sources that Roach's hiring of Stankus – which he allegedly did without advertising the position or interviewing anyone else – combined with the results of the surprise state special circumstance review of Upshur County Schools has led some state school board members to call for the superintendent's resignation.

Sources told Eyewitness News if Roach doesn't step down from his position by Wednesday's state school board meeting, he could be fired.

Special circumstance investigators are scheduled to present their preliminary Upshur County findings to board members at that same Wednesday meeting.

Sources tell Eyewitness News areas of concern they are expected to share include questionable payments to former superintendent Stankus and other Upshur County Schools employees using federal ESSER money, improper county financial oversight connected to travel, payroll and purchases, a problem compounded by insufficient county policies setting down clear spending directions and boundaries.

Eyewitness News reached out to the West Virginia Department of Education requesting an interview with state school board president Paul Hardesty.

A request was also made to speak with Roach about his employment status, his hiring and the alleged conduct of Lewis-Stankus, as well as the county’s spending under her watch.

A spokeswoman told Eyewitness News there will be no interviews or statements from the Department of Education prior to the presentation.