School district officials are attempting to retrieve the supplies Glenview elementary school parents rescued from a dumpster this week, saying they can be used at other schools around Prince George.
"We would be happy to pick up the supplies and yes, we do have a use for the supplies," superintendent Brian Pepper said in an e-mail response to questions from the Citizen.
School principal Tim Yule, who was seen throwing unused paint brushes, bottles of non-toxic paint and stacks of paper into the school's dumpster Tuesday morning.
The parents who retrieved the material are taking a cautious approach, however, saying they want assurances the items won't end up in a landfill before handing them over and an explanation for what happened.
"I don't want to see the guy fired but I think he needs to own up to what he did," said one parent who requested anonymity.
Denise Volpert, who went public with the incident, said Yule called her Thursday morning asking for her to bring back the material. However, she said, she wasn't among those who retrieved the dumped goods.
"And then he said 'Well, I'd like you to get the parents to bring it back' and he said 'I'd like to know what your involvement in this is,'" said Volpert.
But Volpert told him it was "none of his business" and hung up, she said.
Yule refused to be interviewed for this article.
Volpert also elaborated on what she saw Tuesday morning when she dropped by the school to check up on one of her grandchildren while out for a walk.
"I always go around there [by the dumpster], that's the way I walk," Volpert said. "I was like, 'I can't believe I'm seeing this.'"
She said what she saw was that Yule was helping a special needs student responsible for the school's recycling dispose of the material and gave some of the items to one of the school bus drivers.
Volpert said she won't believe the school district the next time they say they're in the red given the waste she saw.
The parents did not see Yule unload the items but acted quickly when they were spotted in the dumpster.
Yule has referred requests for comment to Pepper who has declined to comment on whether any disciplinary measures will be taken because that's a personnel issue.
But he did say Thursday it's a "matter of significant importance" and his investigation is ongoing.
