The fate of Montour Superintendent Ronald Mento is up in the air this week, as district officials begin to review preliminary findings of a state audit into district finances.

Mento was placed on paid leave by the board in a closed-door session Jan. 15. It was not announced to the district staff until eight days later, with no reason being given for the sudden action.

Board President Charles Snowden would say only that the decision was based on information that became available in December. He would not confirm that it had anything to do with the draft audit recently issued by state Auditor General Robert P. Casey Jr.

Mento has been under fire since he began the job. His hiring in March 2002 infuriated many taxpayers who were suspicious of his role in the financial mismanagement that resulted in a state auditor general's investigation of the Duquesne School District, where Mento had been superintendent from 1992 to 1999.

Nine months after Mento's hiring in Montour, the district's finances became the focus of a special auditor general's investigation prompted by Montour Taxpayers Association President Joan Sakai. A petition signed by 250 Montour residents and dozens of pages of documentation were included with the request.

Sakai asked the auditor general to review unauthorized expenditures including one for a $60,000 lease agreement for computer software from Educating America Inc.

Mento, whose current annual salary is $110,240, has 18 months remaining on his three-year contract, which expires in July 2005. Joseph Findley, principal at the David E. Williams Middle School, has been named substitute superintendent.

The Educating America agreement has already led to one top administrator's departure in Montour.

In September 2002, former curriculum director Michael Marchionda was placed on paid administrative leave and an internal investigation was conducted by Montour. He subsequently agreed to resign his position.

The debate at that time had involved Mento because both he and Marchionda had signed a document indicating they had authority to enter into the lease on behalf of the school district, despite no official board authorization having been given.

Marchionda was paid nearly $100,000 in severance benefits. Parkvale Savings and Loan also filed a lawsuit against the school district for nonpayment of the loan it assumed from Reliant Financial Resources, the original financing company involved with the software leasing arrangement.

In her request to the auditor general, Sakai also asked that several instances of conflict of interest be investigated and that a review be conducted of check-signing practices within the district.

Sakai cited numerous examples of improperly signed checks, including numerous checks that were signed by district officials and school board members who had no authority to sign checks. "When I think of how many hours I put into this, I'm very excited we may finally learn the truth," said Sakai.

Sandy Williams, a spokeswoman for the auditor general's office, confirmed that the draft report has been issued, but said she could not discuss its findings. Williams explained that the purpose of the draft is to allow parties to have input before the final report is released, which should be in the next several weeks.