SAUGUS – School Committee Chairman Wendy Reed said she was “surprised” by comments made by Saugus High School Principal Joseph Diorio during his interview with the Lowell superintendent Tuesday night.Diorio was named one of two finalists for the headmaster position at Lowell High School and had his first interview Tuesday.According to an article in the Lowell Sun, Diorio, who has been on paid leave since December, addressed his paid leave, saying “the district brought in a new business manager and practices were not effectively communicated to him.”The Lowell Sun quotes Diorio as saying: “As change takes place it has to be articulated and if it’s not, people say, ‘why didn’t you do it that way,’ ‘well we didn’t know it’s how we’ve done it for the past 11 years,’ ‘well that’s not what I expected.’ Unfortunately, that’s where I’m at right now.”Reed said she was surprised because the committee has stated “openly” that the audit was for “procedural issues” and a separate issue from Diorio’s paid leave.”I didn’t know the leave had to do with the actual audit,” said Reed. “They were always talked about separately. I didn’t know it was a personnel issue or what it related to.”Reed said some of the issues being looked at in the audit were left over from last year and noted many of them had already been taken care of, including moving SAT funds and scholarships out of the student activity accounts.Reed also said auditors still haven’t finished the current audit.”It’s really frustrating because we’re waiting for a couple of things from them now ?” said Reed. “The leave of absence is a personnel issue and that’s between (Diorio) and the superintendent ? I know (Diorio) was involved with (the audit), and met with the auditors and talked with them because he has first-hand knowledge of the account.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].