BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Burlington school board has spent over $20,000 in attorney fees in an attempt to hire a new superintendent from Canada, but so far have nothing to show for it.

The Burlington school board weeded through 60 applicants to select Toronto school administrator Yaw Obeng as its new superintendent, and inked a contract with him in February to start at the district’s top post July 1, the Burlington Free Press reports.

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But Obeng doesn’t have an immigration permit to work in the United States, so the district hired special attorneys at about $320 per hour to get him to Vermont.

The district started its superintendent search with a $40,000 budget, and had spent about $23,000 by the time they signed Obeng.

Since, they’ve shelled out another $20,500 on immigration lawyers from three different law firms to secure him a visa, but Obeng’s immigration application was denied by the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service this month, according to the news site.

“The reason given for not approving the visa application … was that the evidence provided was insufficient to establish Mr. Obeng’s qualification for the O-1 visa,” interim superintendent Howard Smith said. “The district is continuing to vigorously pursue all available options.”

“The O1 visa program is designed for skilled workers who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency within their field. Another option for Obeng is an H1B visa, a temporary work permit for highly skilled workers that is issued for three years,” the Free Press reports.

The hiccup required the school board to rewrite Obeng’s contract to replace the July 1 start date with a floating start date, and school officials seem committed to spending what it takes to bring him to the U.S.

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School board chair Mark Porter said he “couldn’t even guess” how much the ordeal will ultimately cost taxpayers, and said the district will simply have to find a way to cover the $3,500 officials have already gone over budget to secure Obeng.

Porter said the additional attorney’s fees going forward could be more problematic.

“We’re certainly worried if it’s big,” he told the Free Press. “But we don’t know that yet.”

The school board’s vice chairwoman Stephanie Seguino told said “Burlington has such unique needs that we have been committed to getting (Obeng) here.

“He’s precisely the person we need in the district now,” she said, according to the Associated Press.

Many online commenters clearly disagree.

“This school board is way, way out of touch with reality,” Plymouth, Vermont resident Peter Chick posted to Facebook.

“If the guy can’t find employment in Canada that must say something. We don’t need him here. Wake up and hire a Vermonter,” Dick Deforge wrote. “There are quality people here in Vermont that can do the job … stop wasting tax dollars on this guy.”

“Reading this just makes me shake my head. What a bunch of fools on that school committee,” Reginald O. Jackson posted. “When this ‘must have’ superintendent finally gets the okay to enter the country, I hope to heck he turns out to be worth it. However, I have a sneaking suspicion this will be just the beginning of the school district’s troubles.”