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Kelley Thorpe

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=4811
Printed Date: Apr 29 2024 at 12:46pm


Topic: Kelley Thorpe
Posted By: 409
Subject: Kelley Thorpe
Date Posted: Oct 13 2012 at 12:34am
From MJ:
Former Monroe treasurer could lose license
By http://www.daytondailynews.com/staff/john-bombatch/ - Staff Writer

Former Monroe schools treasurer Kelley Thorpe could have her treasurer’s license revoked or suspended, pending a hearing before the State Board of Education, according to documents obtained by the Middletown Journal.

Thorpe, who currently serves as treasurer for Middletown City Schools, was notified by the Ohio Department of Education on Wednesday that a hearing would be held to “determine whether to limit, suspend, revoke or permanently revoke” her five-year treasurer license, which was issued in 2011. The hearing would also deal with whether “to deny or permanently deny” Thorpe’s pending application for a five-year school business manager license.

In a 1,200-plus page report, the ODE accuses Thorpe of repeated violations of the law, the code of conduct for Ohio educators and the standards for school treasurers and business administrators. She faces multiple counts, including “allowing funds to be expended in ways other than they were appropriated, allowing appropriations to exceed estimated revenue, allowing expenditures in excess of appropriations, repeated failure to accurately report information and repeated failure to take corrective action.”

Thorpe has until Nov. 8 to request a hearing. If she doesn’t, the state board of education will make a decision on its own.

Calls to Thorpe’s office and cell phone were not returned Friday.

Thorpe was the Monroe district’s treasurer and chief financial officer for fiscal year’s 2008 to 2011. Faced with an operating budget of $2.2 million and a bond retirement debt of $3.1 million, the Monroe school district was placed under fiscal emergency by state auditor Dave Yost on May 10.

Monroe is the first Butler County district to fall into fiscal emergency. District officials have placed a 7.05-mill, five-year emergency operating levy on the Nov. 6 ballot, which would generate about $2.5 million per year.

According to Monroe school officials, Thorpe had moved funds from the bond retirement fund without the board’s approval. The district filed a lawsuit against Thorpe on June 29 in Butler County Common Pleas Court on 14 charges of misconduct on duty. Thorpe’s attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss, but as of Friday, the case had not yet been resolved.

“I believe the issue is now between the ODE and the former treasurer and that the issue will be handled to the best of their abilities,” said interim Monroe superintendent Phil Cagwin, who took over for Elizabeth Lolli last month.

Middletown City Schools could be forced to start a search for another treasurer if Thorpe loses her license. Middletown City Schools Superintendent Greg Rasmussen had little to say on the matter Friday.

“I do not believe it is appropriate for me to comment as the investigation is ongoing and does not, to the best of my knowledge, involve any actions during her tenure at Middletown City Schools,” Rasmussen said. “The case is in the hands of the Ohio Department of Education and I trust it will be handled in a timely and professional way.”

Rasmussen would not comment about whether the district had a contingency plan in place if Thorpe’s license is suspended or revoked. Robin Long is listed as the district’s assistant treasurer.




Replies:
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Oct 13 2012 at 10:52am
"Middletown City Schools could be forced to start a search for another treasurer if Thorpe loses her license. Middletown City Schools Superintendent Greg Rasmussen had little to say on the matter Friday.

“I do not believe it is appropriate for me to comment as the investigation is ongoing and does not, to the best of my knowledge, involve any actions during her tenure at Middletown City Schools,” Rasmussen said. “The case is in the hands of the Ohio Department of Education and I trust it will be handled in a timely and professional way.”

Rasmussen would not comment about whether the district had a contingency plan in place if Thorpe’s license is suspended or revoked. Robin Long is listed as the district’s assistant treasurer."

C'MON RASMUSSEN, STOP THE CRAP. WHETHER SHE IS FOUND INNOCENT IN THE INVESTIGATION OR NOT, SHE'S DAMAGED GOODS AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A QUESTION MARK SURROUNDING THE TRUST FACTOR WITH HER ABILITY TO HANDLE MONEY. STILL DON'T KNOW WHY THIS DISTRICT WOULD HIRE HER IN THE FIRST PLACE GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT MONROE. WHY TAKE THE CHANCE? NEED A PERSON WITH A CLEAN SLATE TO HANDLE THE MONEY. WHOEVER EVALUATED THE MONROE SITUATION AND DID THE HIRING ISN'T REAL GOOD AT JUDGING CHARACTER. SHE NEEDS TO BE BONDED AS SHE HANDLES MONEY, RIGHT? IF SO, HOW DID SHE REMAIN BONDED GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES? NOW, YOU'VE CREATED ANOTHER PROBLEM THIS DISTRICT DOESN'T NEED.


Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: Oct 13 2012 at 11:32pm
come on Ohio Department of Education do Middletown taxpayers a huge favor. To error is human,to bankrupt an entire School system(Monroe) is a huge one.I just hope that she wont get the chance to make mistakes with our schools.


Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Nov 30 2012 at 6:09am
Someone in the pipeline just to be ready Middletown school board?

Today's Journal....

State hearing set for ex-Monroe Schools treasurer

COLUMBUS —
The Ohio Board of Education has set a public hearing date to decide whether “to limit, suspend, revoke or permanently revoke” the five-year treasurer license for former Monroe Schools treasurer Kelley Thorpe.

Thorpe served as treasurer and chief financial officer for the Monroe Local School District for fiscal years 2008-11. Thorpe is currently employed as treasurer for the Middletown City School District.

The state hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 13-15, Feb. 20 and Feb. 25 in the Ohio Department of Education Building, 25 S. Front St., Columbus

I LIKE THIS....

All hearings are open to the public, but the hearing officer may close the hearing “to protect compelling interests and rights or to comply with statutory requirements,” according to the Ohio Department of Education

ALL HEARINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC......EXCEPT WHEN THEY ARE NOT. MERCY!

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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.


Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 25 2014 at 6:22am
Today's Journal...

Middletown school official to resign

MIDDLETOWN —
The treasurer of the Middletown City School District is expected to resign her position at tonight’s school board meeting, The Journal-News has learned.

Kelley Thorpe, who has served as the district’s treasurer since Aug. 1, 2011, is expected to resign effective July 31, 2014, when her contract expires. She makes $84,150 a year, according to district records.

The Rev. Greg Tyus, vice president of the school board, said he didn’t know why Thorpe was resigning. Thorpe and Marcia Andrew, school board president, were unavailable for comment.

Last year, Thorpe, former Monroe schools treasurer, entered into an interim agreement to have a mentor with the Ohio Department of Education’s Office of Professional Conduct. In October 2012, Thorpe was notified of three counts of violating the law while serving as treasurer of Monroe schools during fiscal years 2008-11. The three counts include: failure to report accurate financial information; allowing funds to be expended in ways other than they were appropriated and allowing appropriations to exceed estimated revenue; and failure to take corrective action for problems identified in audits of Monroe schools, according to Ohio Department of Education documents.

The Monroe Local School District was declared in fiscal emergency by the state in May 9, 2012, after facing a combined $5.3 million budget deficit. The misuse of more than $3.1 million in restricted bond retirement funds from 2005-11 added to the district’s operating deficit of $2.2 million, according to Monroe officials.

Under the interim agreement — signed by Thorpe and her lawyer Dennis L. Pergram — Thorpe was to work with a mentor who is a current or former public school treasurer in good standing until her current employment contract expires on July 31, 2014. The interim agreement is not an admission to the allegations against Thorpe, according to the state.

GONNA RESIGN FROM A JOB THAT PAYS $84 GRAND A YEAR? TYUS DOESN'T KNOW WHY? ANDREW AND THORPE NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT?

DID THE PROBLEMS AS MONROE TREASURER CATCH UP WITH THORPE? DID MIDDLETOWN HIRE DAMAGED GOODS FROM THE START? WILL THE MIDDLETOWN SCHOOL BOARD BE A LITTLE MORE SELECTIVE THE NEXT TIME?

DUNNO. THEY'RE NOT TALKING.....AND THE TAXPAYER'S OF MIDDLETOWN HAVE A RIGHT TO AN EXPLANATION SINCE THIS PERSON IS A PUBLIC SERVANT PAID WITH OUR TAX MONEY. 10/4?

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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.


Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Feb 25 2014 at 8:10am
Are those charges exactly the charges that should be brought against our city council? Just wondering.


Posted By: jsmith2011
Date Posted: Mar 02 2014 at 7:43pm
I would bet that the treasurer is leaving because Middletown brought Libby Lolli from Monroe and I hear she is moving up the ladder fast in Middletown School District and will soon be the Asst Superintendent...or whatever title they now call that position now.


Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Mar 03 2014 at 6:53am
Originally posted by jsmith2011 jsmith2011 wrote:

I would bet that the treasurer is leaving because Middletown brought Libby Lolli from Monroe and I hear she is moving up the ladder fast in Middletown School District and will soon be the Asst Superintendent...or whatever title they now call that position now.


May be wrong here but didn't the folks in Monroe have issues with Lolli when she was running the show there? Folks also had issues with Thorpe after they learned she had created a financial crisis for the Monroe District. Lolli....Thorpe, both from Monroe, both having issues with the general public. Is Middletown getting into the habit of hiring the refugees from Monroe now? If Lolli is moving up the ladder at a fast pace, wonder why she is considered so valuable? Does she have that much ability or does she know the right people? We don't have an Assist. Super and don't need one. Just another high paid six figure salary paper shuffler isn't it? Over the years they have injected so many high paying salary positions in this school system that dam near everyone is a Director of something nowadays. I would imagine the chiefs outnumber the indians 4:1. Ridiculous.

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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.


Posted By: chmoore1
Date Posted: Mar 05 2014 at 1:12am
Time to get LL out of Middletown Schools. She has been a re-tread for way too long. Get Ison to make the decisions instead of Lolli. She's gone from "retired" to Monroe's Superintendent, to resigning, to a Consultant with Butler County, to a power position with Middletown. Just go away. No multi-year administrative contract, with a buy-out at the end.   I'm just 1chmoore.   


Posted By: hugh jape
Date Posted: Mar 12 2014 at 11:16am
Lolli, Gearhart and Ison are all three the problem, its not just Thorpe.  Lolli is really running the show with Gearhart as her thug.  Ison just stands back and watches it all happen. 



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