Yesterday I reported on the need for education financial transparency. The article below appeared in the Union Leader and further highlights the need for education financial transparency in all school districts. If check registers were posted online it may deter incidents like this from occurring in the future.
Cathy
Pelham teacher surrenders on theft charge
By DERRICK PERKINS
New Hampshire Union Leader Correspondent
PELHAM – An elementary school teacher placed herself into police custody yesterday morning after authorities issued a warrant for her arrest for allegedly stealing money from a school fund.
Police charged Lisa K. Harris, 50, of Pelham, with a felony - theft by unauthorized taking - after an investigation indicated that Harris had allegedly transferred $4,600.00 from the Pelham Elementary Sunshine Fund into her personal Sovereign Bank account.
According to school principal Alicia LaFrance, the theft came to her attention in late April when members of the Sunshine Committee -- a group of faculty and staff who meet regularly and voluntarily collect contributions to fund staff events as well as purchase flowers for those who have had a family member pass away during the school year -- alerted her to money missing from their account.
LaFrance contacted the Superintendent of schools, as well as the school business manager, before confronting Harris. An instruction assistant who worked with special needs children, Harris resigned in early May. LaFrance forwarded all information to the police soon after.
Police began investigating the missing funds in late May and used a search warrant to determine the ownership of the bank account the money had been electronically transferred into between May 16 and May 28. A warrant was issued and Harris turned herself in at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday.
Harris had served as the president and treasurer of the Sunshine Committee. It was her first year as a member of the organization.
LaFrance, who had worked with Harris for four years, described her as "well-liked by the staff" and "very friendly."
"I think [the staff] felt very angry and violated, that someone amongst themselves would take from them or steal from them," she said. "There are certain members of the school who lost family members during the school year who were very saddened by what happened, that money had been taken away from their grieving families."
The shortage of funds would make it more difficult for the school to hold annual end-of-the-year events for leaving staff, but according to LaFrance they were doing their best to make ends meet. The ordeal has tightened the coordination and management of the fund in the future, she said.
"We're making sure that more than one member of the committee is signing checks and balancing the account and the committee is meeting more often with monthly financial reports," she said.
According to Lt. Gary Fisher, this is not the first time a town employee has stolen from town funds.
"We had a rec center director several years ago who was embezzaling funds," he said. "It doesn't happen often, but it's not uncommon."
Harris was booked without incident and was released on a $5,000.00 recognizance bail. She will appear before the New Hampshire District Court in Salem on Jul. 14.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Board Explains Tuition Issues
This week's Argus Champion reported on the tuition issues within Croydon school district. The article is not online so you will need to pick up a copy of the Argus Champion to read the full story.
This incident has proven that we need full education financial transparency within the Croydon School District. This can be done by posting Croydon's check register online. Peyton Wolcott's website is reporting that 190 districts within 14 states are posting their check registers online revealing at least 46 billion dollars in educational financial transparency.
In the Argus Champion article school board Chairman George Caccavaro said ".....Everyone has a right to know what is going on...." when referring to the recent tuition issue. He also stated "We've not covering anything up."
Linda Schultz, George Caccavaro and Carol Marsh need to show they want true education financial transparency for the Croydon School district and for the taxpayers of Croydon, all contracts and check registers should be posted online for taxpayer review. If this school board will not do it hopefully fiscally responsible individuals will be elected who will do this in the future.
This incident has proven that we need full education financial transparency within the Croydon School District. This can be done by posting Croydon's check register online. Peyton Wolcott's website is reporting that 190 districts within 14 states are posting their check registers online revealing at least 46 billion dollars in educational financial transparency.
In the Argus Champion article school board Chairman George Caccavaro said ".....Everyone has a right to know what is going on...." when referring to the recent tuition issue. He also stated "We've not covering anything up."
Linda Schultz, George Caccavaro and Carol Marsh need to show they want true education financial transparency for the Croydon School district and for the taxpayers of Croydon, all contracts and check registers should be posted online for taxpayer review. If this school board will not do it hopefully fiscally responsible individuals will be elected who will do this in the future.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Do you know....how much is spent on public education?
How much do you think was spent by our state, local and federal governments on all public elementary and secondary schools in 2006 in the United States?
A. 506 million dollars
B. 5.2. billion dollars
C. 50 billion dollars
D .5206 trillion dollars
The answer is D .5206 trillion dollars or 520.6 billion dollars. This is more money than the non-military discretionary spending of the federal government during 2006. In other words this is all the money spent by the federal government excluding entitlements, the military and interest payments on debt.
Hat tip to Pete the finance guy for directing us to Ross Perot's website . Visit Ross Perot's website for more very informative information regarding the education spending crisis.
A. 506 million dollars
B. 5.2. billion dollars
C. 50 billion dollars
D .5206 trillion dollars
The answer is D .5206 trillion dollars or 520.6 billion dollars. This is more money than the non-military discretionary spending of the federal government during 2006. In other words this is all the money spent by the federal government excluding entitlements, the military and interest payments on debt.
Hat tip to Pete the finance guy for directing us to Ross Perot's website . Visit Ross Perot's website for more very informative information regarding the education spending crisis.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Overspending: A bad school aid plan
So often the Union Leader editorial board expresses a thought so well I wish I would have written it myself. The Union Leader is spot on with their assessment. Lynch et. al. are mortgaging our children's future dollars away. This irresponsible spending will only lead to an income tax and higher property taxes unless New Hampshire voters wake up, get educated and vote for fiscally responsible people at all levels of government.
Overspending: A bad school aid plan
Wednesday, Jun. 11, 2008
GOV. JOHN LYNCH'S inability to stop legislative overspending is getting tiresome.
On Monday, Lynch allowed a terrible school funding bill, which he opposes, to become law without his signature. As usual, he waited until the very last moment to make a decision, and it was the wrong one.
Click for Editorials & Op-Eds
The school funding plan is bad for lots of reasons. The most obvious is that it spends $180 million the state doesn't have. Spending money the state doesn't have is becoming a Lynch specialty.
Last year Gov. Lynch signed a state budget that raised general fund spending by $475 million, even though the state didn't have the revenues needed to meet the increase. That budget is now estimated to end roughly $200 million in the red.
In addition to overspending, the new school funding law brings back donor towns and gives the same base amount of money to each district, rich or poor, regardless of the district's need. Lynch opposes both of those bad provisions. But he let the bill become law anyway.
We remember a certain governor who managed to prevent legislators from overspending. He simply promised to veto any bill that raised taxes or spending. He ended up having to veto a state budget. But the state didn't collapse. Instead, legislators realized he meant business, and they fell in line. Runaway spending stopped cold.
That governor's name was Craig Benson. He was defeated by a fresh-faced former executive named John Lynch who promised to be just as fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, Gov. Lynch hasn't lived up to that promise, and the result is the biggest state budget increase in two decades and a school aid plan that overspends to the point that it sets us up for an income tax.
We're pretty sure Benson would have vetoed, or at least threatened to veto, this awful school funding bill, as Lynch should have done. Benson would have found a way to keep legislators from spending money the state doesn't have. Gov. Lynch said he would do the same. He just hasn't commanded enough authority in Concord to make it happen.
Quote of the Day - "No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session." ~Author Unknown
Overspending: A bad school aid plan
Wednesday, Jun. 11, 2008
GOV. JOHN LYNCH'S inability to stop legislative overspending is getting tiresome.
On Monday, Lynch allowed a terrible school funding bill, which he opposes, to become law without his signature. As usual, he waited until the very last moment to make a decision, and it was the wrong one.
Click for Editorials & Op-Eds
The school funding plan is bad for lots of reasons. The most obvious is that it spends $180 million the state doesn't have. Spending money the state doesn't have is becoming a Lynch specialty.
Last year Gov. Lynch signed a state budget that raised general fund spending by $475 million, even though the state didn't have the revenues needed to meet the increase. That budget is now estimated to end roughly $200 million in the red.
In addition to overspending, the new school funding law brings back donor towns and gives the same base amount of money to each district, rich or poor, regardless of the district's need. Lynch opposes both of those bad provisions. But he let the bill become law anyway.
We remember a certain governor who managed to prevent legislators from overspending. He simply promised to veto any bill that raised taxes or spending. He ended up having to veto a state budget. But the state didn't collapse. Instead, legislators realized he meant business, and they fell in line. Runaway spending stopped cold.
That governor's name was Craig Benson. He was defeated by a fresh-faced former executive named John Lynch who promised to be just as fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, Gov. Lynch hasn't lived up to that promise, and the result is the biggest state budget increase in two decades and a school aid plan that overspends to the point that it sets us up for an income tax.
We're pretty sure Benson would have vetoed, or at least threatened to veto, this awful school funding bill, as Lynch should have done. Benson would have found a way to keep legislators from spending money the state doesn't have. Gov. Lynch said he would do the same. He just hasn't commanded enough authority in Concord to make it happen.
Quote of the Day - "No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session." ~Author Unknown
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Croydon School Board Meeting - Reported on by Union Leader Reporter
Last night was a packed house at the Croydon School Board Meeting. If you have not picked up a copy of the Union Leader you should, unfortunately the story is not online.
The reason the meeting was packed was because for years Croydon residents have been paying for students who live outside of the district to attend our schools. Our district received one year of tuition from Kearsarge Regional Schools for two children. However Grantham is contesting our school districts request to pay close to 40,000 dollars for three students. This tuition comes to 54,000 dollars for one year. With the size of Croydon's school budget this makes a difference in a Croydon's resident taxes. I know this is money that we could use in our home. I am sure with the rising gas prices many other Croydon residents could use that money too.
Our public school is a government school, like many other forms of government our tax dollars will be wasted unless we keep an eye on how our tax dollars are spent.
Cathy
Quote of the Day - "If people behaved like governments, you'd call the cops." ~Kelvin Throop
The reason the meeting was packed was because for years Croydon residents have been paying for students who live outside of the district to attend our schools. Our district received one year of tuition from Kearsarge Regional Schools for two children. However Grantham is contesting our school districts request to pay close to 40,000 dollars for three students. This tuition comes to 54,000 dollars for one year. With the size of Croydon's school budget this makes a difference in a Croydon's resident taxes. I know this is money that we could use in our home. I am sure with the rising gas prices many other Croydon residents could use that money too.
Our public school is a government school, like many other forms of government our tax dollars will be wasted unless we keep an eye on how our tax dollars are spent.
Cathy
Quote of the Day - "If people behaved like governments, you'd call the cops." ~Kelvin Throop
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Pay Attention to your Tax Dollars
The follow letter to the editor appeared in the Argus Champion.
During Croydon's March town meeting, I encouraged residents to reject the school budget partly because of rising fuel prices. My husband encouraged rejecting the budget based on excessive spending. I wonder if those who supported the tax warrants, increased taxes and increased spending have any regrets about their decisions. We would like to hear from you.
We have said it time and time again: Public schools have a spending problem and waste money. Sadly it appears that they waste money here in Croydon too. Our district has been paying for kids who live out of district to go to school in Newport, costing taxpayers hundreds
of dollars apiece. Dollars that I am sure could be used towards rising fuel prices, food, college funds and/or retirement.
I encourage all Croydon residents to go to the June 11th school board meeting and make sure you are heard on this issue. This is why we stressed it is so important to become active in watching how your tax dollars are spent. When someone else is spending your money they will not be as responsible with the money if you were spending it yourself.
It appears that some people have been given preferential treatment
and school choice. This is a right that should be given to all Croydon residents, not just the privileged few.
Cathy Peschke
Citizens for Reasonable And Fair Taxes
During Croydon's March town meeting, I encouraged residents to reject the school budget partly because of rising fuel prices. My husband encouraged rejecting the budget based on excessive spending. I wonder if those who supported the tax warrants, increased taxes and increased spending have any regrets about their decisions. We would like to hear from you.
We have said it time and time again: Public schools have a spending problem and waste money. Sadly it appears that they waste money here in Croydon too. Our district has been paying for kids who live out of district to go to school in Newport, costing taxpayers hundreds
of dollars apiece. Dollars that I am sure could be used towards rising fuel prices, food, college funds and/or retirement.
I encourage all Croydon residents to go to the June 11th school board meeting and make sure you are heard on this issue. This is why we stressed it is so important to become active in watching how your tax dollars are spent. When someone else is spending your money they will not be as responsible with the money if you were spending it yourself.
It appears that some people have been given preferential treatment
and school choice. This is a right that should be given to all Croydon residents, not just the privileged few.
Cathy Peschke
Citizens for Reasonable And Fair Taxes
Monday, June 9, 2008
Road Blocks to Homeschooling
One of the many roadblocks to homeschooling is the parents themselves.
Some two income families homeschool but it is much easier to homeschool if you are a one income family. There are plenty of tips on the web on how to live on one income.
Here are tips that we use to survive on one income. These tips should be considered to also battle the rising costs of fuel.
1. Buy used cars, never buy new cars.
2. Don't use cell phones.
3. Pay off credit cards monthly.
4. If you can't afford to pay cash or pay off your credit card within the month you by something you can not afford to buy the item you are interested in buying.
5. Pay yourself first. Put money in college funds and retirement funds every month.
6. Bring your lunch to work.
7. Pass on fancy clothes.
8. If you can't afford to go out to eat don't.
9. Buy generic brands and house brands skip the name brands.
10. Skip the movie theaters use Netflix instead.
Some two income families homeschool but it is much easier to homeschool if you are a one income family. There are plenty of tips on the web on how to live on one income.
Here are tips that we use to survive on one income. These tips should be considered to also battle the rising costs of fuel.
1. Buy used cars, never buy new cars.
2. Don't use cell phones.
3. Pay off credit cards monthly.
4. If you can't afford to pay cash or pay off your credit card within the month you by something you can not afford to buy the item you are interested in buying.
5. Pay yourself first. Put money in college funds and retirement funds every month.
6. Bring your lunch to work.
7. Pass on fancy clothes.
8. If you can't afford to go out to eat don't.
9. Buy generic brands and house brands skip the name brands.
10. Skip the movie theaters use Netflix instead.
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