When The Going Gets Tough
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Schools
Forum Name: Other School Issues
Forum Description: Discuss other issues such as school security, student activities, etc.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4720
Printed Date: May 18 2024 at 12:48am
Topic: When The Going Gets Tough
Posted By: VietVet
Subject: When The Going Gets Tough
Date Posted: Aug 18 2012 at 7:10pm
The tough attempt to leave.
Today's Journal.....
Monroe superintendent asks to step down
MONROE — As students file in for the first day of school Monday at Monroe Local Schools, the board of education will be on the search for a new superintendent to lead the district.
During an emergency meeting Friday evening with Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lolli, board president Brett Guido said she requested to be released from the remaining two years of her employment contract, according to a statement Guido released at 10 p.m. Friday
The Monroe Local School District was placed on fiscal emergency status in May by the Ohio state auditor. The district is facing a $2.2 million general fund deficit and $3.1 million legacy debt, according to school board officials.
Lolli said she is being hired as a consultant by the Butler County Educational Service Center to focus on curriculum and instruction. Lolli said she will be working with staff members on professional development, coaching and mentoring. Lolli said she will likely begin her new role in mid-September.
“It started to unfold on Monday of this week (Aug. 13),” Lolli said, of receiving another job offer. “I’d been approached for a couple other jobs last spring and summer. I wanted to wait until things were in place for the new school year and if something became available.”
Lolli said it was “an important piece” for the district that the state’s audit report in June cleared the superintendent and school board members from having involvement in the misuse of bond retirement funds dating back to 2005 which reportedly lead to the $5.3 million debt.
“The decisions we’ve made to right the course of the district have been done extremely well,” Lolli said. “The audit found evidence the school board and I didn’t even know about it; there were no transactions signed by myself and the board and were in fact signed by the former treasurer.”
HMMM. ON THE SURFACE, IT LOOKS LIKE SHE WAS ACTIVELY SEARCHING AND HAD HER "FEELERS" OUT TO ATTEMPT TO LEAVE AS THE FINANCIAL SITUATION WASN'T GETTING ANY BETTER AT MONROE. PERHAPS TRYING TO SEPARATE HERSELF COMPLETELY FROM THE SITUATION OF DEALING WITH A FINANCIALLY STRAPPED DISTRICT WHERE VOTERS HAVE ALREADY SAID NO TO MAKING UP THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE DAMAGE DONE BY THE PREVIOUS TREASURER. PERHAPS LOLLI DOESN'T THINK THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF A LEVY PASSING IN THE NEAR FUTURE SO WHY DEAL WITH IT.
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Replies:
Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Aug 18 2012 at 9:46pm
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My guess is she wanted to work through the mess and bring the district out on the other side but she was getting a lot of heat from some of the residents who wanted someone to pay (even if it should have been Thorpe). With the levy failing she probably felt she couldn't take the heat any longer and wanted to get out now so the levy could pass in Nov.
I'm still wondering why Middletown didn't fire Thorpe upon learning of her buggling in Monroe. Ahh, public employment!
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Aug 19 2012 at 8:43am
"I'm still wondering why Middletown didn't fire Thorpe upon learning of her buggling in Monroe. Ahh, public employment!"
GOOD QUESTION NEIL.
THE MIDDLETOWN SCHOOL FOLKS HAVE GOTTA BE CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE TREASURER'S AREA OF OPERATION BASED ON HER PERFORMANCE AT MONROE. DID THEY KNOW ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY WHILE SHE WAS STILL MONROE'S TREASURER AND HIRED HER ANYWAY OR DID THEY LEARN ABOUT THIS AFTER SHE WAS HIRED? HASN'T MONROE TAKEN LEGAL ACTION AGAINST HER IN A LAWSUIT? IF SO, WONDER HOW THAT'S GOING? PERHAPS IF SHE IS FOUND GUILTY OF MONEY HANDLING, THEY WILL RE-CONSIDER HER EMPLOYMENT AT MIDDLETOWN AND RELEASE HER. RIGHT NOW, HER MONEY-HANDLING HISTORY COULD BE A LIABILITY TO THE DISTRICT. PERHAPS A SMART THING TO DO TO SCRUTINIZE HER ACTIVITIES UNTIL SOME DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE CAN BE ATTAINED.....IF EVER.
ANY COMMENTS MS. ANDREW/MR. FIORA. THIS IS AN EVENT THAT THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT SINCE WE ARE FOOTING THE BILL FOR HER SALARY AND, AS A PUBLIC SERVANT OF THE SCHOOLS, ALL SCHOOL PERSONEL ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE TAXPAYER. IS SHE CURRENTLY BEING EVALUATED?
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Posted By: Marcia Andrew
Date Posted: Aug 20 2012 at 9:44am
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Vet, I have answered the first part of your question several times on this forum. I will answer it again. Middletown hired Kelley Thorpe in July 2011 to begin work August 1, 2011. At the time, she was still employed by Monroe. Before we offered her the job, we talked to many people at Monroe (both those she listed as references and those she did not) and she received strong positive references. Monroe did not learn the facts upon which they made their allegations about Thorpe until after Thorpe had left Monroe and started at Middletown.
As to the second part of the question, of course we are keeping a close eye on the situation. The Middletown Board has always had an active oversight role with respect to its treasurers, and we are very involved in managing our five-year forecast of revenues and expenses. Allegations of mistakes in a prior job is not just cause for a new employer to fire the employee, but we are watching to see that similar errors (if any were made in Monroe) are not made here.
Monroe Schools did file a lawsuit against Ms.Thorpe, Clark Schaeffer & Hackett (who did Monroe's audits) and the company that bonded the treasurer. I think Ms. Thorpe filed a motion to dismiss the case and otherwise nothing has happened. I would not expect a result in that case for at least a year. Monroe also filed a disciplinary action against Ms. Thorpe with the Ohio Department of Education (treasurers are licensed by ODE). ODE has not taken any action that I am aware of.
Marcia Andrew
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Aug 20 2012 at 11:06am
Ms. Andrew....
"Monroe also filed a disciplinary action against Ms. Thorpe with the Ohio Department of Education (treasurers are licensed by ODE). ODE has not taken any action that I am aware of"
So by this action, IF the Ohio Dept. of Education does take action and her license is taken or suspended, we can assume she will no longer be the Treasurer of the Middletown schools, correct?
Thank you for your reply. I apologize if I have brought the first part of this topic up before. I can't possibly commit to memory all that has been communicated with you over this time span. I apologize for the redundancy.
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Posted By: Marcia Andrew
Date Posted: Aug 20 2012 at 1:53pm
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Vet, I have not researched the particular laws, nor can I speak for how the rest of the Board would vote in the hypothetical situation you asked about, but it is my understanding that a public school district must employ only a state-licensed Treasurer, and that, therefore, revocation or suspension of a license would be just cause for termination.
Marcia Andrew
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Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Aug 20 2012 at 2:20pm
Thanks Ms. Andrew for your responses to these touchy questions. I've been following the http://www.mainstreetmonroe.com/voice/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=36 - Monroe Local Schools situation very closely . The jury is still out on Ms. Thorpe. I still don't know what to think and have not formed an opinion yet. Was she misguided? The truth will come out some day.
I am glad to hear the Middletown School board is more involved in the financial side of running the school district than Monroe's board. As you can see, if you take the eye off the ball for one minute, things can go horribly wrong.
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http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle
Middletown USA
News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio.
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