CALL TO ACTION!
Want to help make the future brighter for the children in this school district? You can, by asking our school Board and administration to stop wasteful spending and initiate more oversight of spending. These controls will ensure that funds are directed toward programs that add value to the education of our kids.
Currently, our district continues to waste money and resources:
* An independent CPA firm has found deficiencies and material weaknesses in our accounting for at least 6 years in a row.
* ORCSD pays extra EVERY year because our poor internal controls are considered "high risk".
* The District continues to ignore policies regarding proper bidding of services.
We are at the cusp of change. Indeed, some members of the Board refuse to get on board and support protocols to curb this reckless behavior. But, more members of the Board are willing to embrace change and stand up to intimidation.
Your help is needed!
It is time to demand fiscal responsibility from our school district. Please show your support for a budget committee and audit committee.
What can you do:
1. Please send a letter to the Board telling them that you support fiscal transparency and responsibility and nothing less will be tolerated (e-mail admin assistant, Wendy DiFruscio at: wdifruscio@orcsd.org)
2. Speak out at the meeting tomorrow night--OR high school at 7:00 p.m. and voice your support and intolerance for the attempts of the Chair and other members of the Board to stonewall these initiatives.
3. Get involved in the conversation at: www.oysterrivercommunity.blogspot.com
4. Stay informed by watching school board meetings on Channel 22 (every other Wed at 7:00).
3. Tell a friend and ask them to get involved and demand more from our Board and administration.
With your help we can solve these problems and start talking about moving this district into the 21st Century, where it rightfully belongs.
Thanks,
Jenna
----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Jenna Roberts To: orcsd-Wendy DiFruscio
Cc: Durham Todd Selig
Sent: Tue, June 1, 2010 11:51:56 PM Subject: please forward
Cc: Durham Todd Selig
Sent: Tue, June 1, 2010 11:51:56 PM Subject: please forward
June 1, 2010
Members of the Oyster River Cooperative School District School Board:
In these tough economic times, any Board member who opposes strategies for quality assurance, risk management, waste reduction and sensible cost controls is irresponsible and negligent of their fiduciary responsibility to the community and our children’s future.
It is time for Oyster River to get on board with best practices. It is time for the Board to move forward and represent the best interest of the public for whom they work. It is time for an audit committee and a budget committee.
Below you will find a quick peek at the kind of oversight that institutions are utilizing to control costs and provide fiscal oversight. You will find efforts for increased transparency and fiscal responsibility at colleges, public school cooperatives and local town governments.
Sincerely,
Jenna Roberts
Durham
cc: Durham Town Council, Lee Selectmen, Madbury Selectmen
In order below--Dartmouth College budget committee, Dresden Ad-Hoc Cost Reduction Committee, Dresden Budget Committee, Newmarket Municipal Audit Committee.
stupid.
ReplyDeleteJenna, you probably watch school board meetings like a hawk. If this is true, then you saw the auditors give the school district a "B" for its overall fiscal practices. There is room for improvement over how fiscal procedures are conducted. This doesn't mean we are spending recklessly.
Don't try to manipulate this into something it isn't.
The auditor also said it would be good practice to have a committee. Why NOT have one, it is best practice. Why risk federal funding?
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous #1, above: I disagree that our administration deserves a "B" for their efforts at fiscal management. For instance, a spot check of purchases by the auditors found that approximately 25% of them were not properly justified. On that particular pop quiz, they scored a 75. Back when I was in high school, that was a "C-". But perhaps the auditors (who, after all, are hired and fired at the pleasure of school administrators) have reason to be easy graders.
ReplyDeleteBut I would argue that's all missing the point. We are a (relatively) wealthy district, both in terms of fiscal resources and overall community support. We pay our administrators well, and we give them the tools they need to do their jobs. I would argue they are capable of "A" work.
Why are you so willing to give them a pass when you know they can--and should--do better?
I'm not willing to accept mediocrity, either from my kids or their schools. While we both might agree that absolute perfection is unachievable, I think we have a right to expect better performance than we are seeing right now.
Stupid? If anonymous above thinks that getting involved, staying engaged and striving to make things better is "stupid" then that is her/his choice. It s/he thinks fixing problems that are fixable but continue to be blatantly ignored is "stupid" then that is her/his opinion. It is fine if you do not agree but I think calling me or my ideas stupid is not constructive.
ReplyDeleteI know that most people want to see their investment in our school district utilized in a way that is fiscally responsible, transparent and demonstrates a direct benefit to the education of the children in this community. If you do not want that, then by all means you are entitled to say so. But, please do not tell me that I do not know what I am talking about. I did an audit and I can assure you that money is, in fact, spent recklessly and not in the best interest of the community, the students or the teachers/staff. I have documented how policies are not followed, contracts are not properly bid and how Board policies are inadequate because they do not provide transparency or oversight mechanisms. This leads to waste and (un)intentional misappropriation of funds.
Strong policies, proper oversight and active Board sub-committees (e.g. audit, budget, etc.) that involve the public, would pave the way toward transparency, accountability and restoring public trust. These are reasonable and sensible solutions that mitigate reckless spending, manage risk and, best of all, cost nothing. In fact, the State of New York requires a volunteer citizens audit committee of all schools with more than 8 teachers. I have requested that the Board consider adopting this charter for our District.
If you still think this is “stupid”, then I question your commitment to the future of our students, the needs of our teachers and concern for community people with fixed or limited income. I will continue to stay engaged, participate in the process, stand up for what is right, give feedback and offer suggestions. Further, I will continue to challenge our District administrators, as well as, our publicly elected Board members to be more accountable, strive for transparency and find new ways to involve and communicate with the public. The future of my two children and the children in our community is too important for me to give up on these prudent and achievable goals.
Sincerely,
Jenna Roberts
Jenna,
ReplyDeleteYou make incredible insinuations. You borderline accuse our adminsitrators of fraud, theft and racketeering. That is walking down a slippery slope - one that I am not comfortable hearing unless you have irrefutable proof.
Why go to such extremes that you suggest (creating extra committess, include dozen-plus additional people, add multiple layers of bureaucracy, etc. etc. etc.) when tightening controls over fiscal policies are the only thing in order here. We shouldn't go to such extremes because the auditor said the possibility is there. Instead, take necessary action to ensure it didn't happen and that it doesn't happen in the future. Geesh, you make it sound like the staff and administration are responsible for stealing tens of millions of dollars over the course of the last couple decades - doubtful. No one steals that much (or even trivial amounts) without getting caught.
I also can't believe you want us to follow New York's lead. New York? Seriously? New York?!
Now you have totally lost credibility in my book. When was the last time someone said "Let's do it becasue New York does it." Come on, you can do better than that Jenna.
Wow, Jenna is now a CPA?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for such a successful audit of the Oyster River CSD finances.
Hey, Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteHow can you be so sure our administrators/vendors are NOT engaging in fraud or theft?
Our CPA firm says the District doesn't keep good enough records, or control over our finances, to tell whether or not that stuff is going on. They even said so during their public presentation.
If you're not comfortable with what the CPAs say, you should support a forensic audit, then we'll all know for sure.
Otherwise, you're taking it on faith.
that CPA gave us a B on the district's finances. Ignorant people choose what they want out of a hours long conversation to suit their political agenda.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like the "ignorant people" who expect that a lengthy, nuanced and technical document can be distilled down to a letter grade?
ReplyDeleteOuch...touché!
ReplyDeleteWho hired the auditor?
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to read ALL of these blogs. Some are pathetically weak and comical. I strongly suspect that some of this is defense from a small percentage of the actual board members. These are more than likely the ones we no longer need. When will it be recognized and addressed that the main root of our problems lie with Howard Coulter and Laura Rogers? Howard has been there far too long, "bullshits" people with regard to their concerns and has his own biased adgenda. Laura appears to not really like children, resents teachers that are favored by some students, is not widely respected by many teachers and parents, is not supportive to ALL of the student community and actually deletes email that comes to her with parental concerns. Think about it this seriously people. We need a "changing of the guard" to start improving our role from ALL angles in educating the children of this community. I cannot wait for my last child to graduate and be done with this mess.
ReplyDelete