New Treasurer
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Schools
Forum Name: School Board
Forum Description: Discuss the board individually and as a group.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3807
Printed Date: Apr 26 2024 at 4:02pm
Topic: New Treasurer
Posted By: VietVet
Subject: New Treasurer
Date Posted: Apr 18 2011 at 6:56am
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Today's Journal..
Search on for next Middletown schools treasurer MIDDLETOWN — The Middletown City Schools Board of Education is gearing up its search for a new treasurer in one of the most financially stressful times in recent memory. “(The OSBA) can use all their contacts and their skills in bringing candidates in, helping with the screening process and making arrangements with them in terms of any further interviews,” Andrew said. “No one on the board is an expert on recruiting experts to anywhere, let alone a school district.” We hear about supers and treasurers moving from district to district an awful lot, don't we? Sometimes you hear where some of these people spend their whole careers in transit, making the rounds with each district, yet, never leaving the area. Alot of recycled education people being rehired locally. |
Replies:
Posted By: jsmith2011
Date Posted: Apr 28 2011 at 8:03pm
| I heard she was asked to resign by the board. |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Apr 29 2011 at 12:22pm
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January 09, 2009, Lisa Fahncke interviews for job along with :
Todd Puster is the treasurer of Streetsboro City Schools in northeast Ohio. Jeff Schroeder is the director of accounting and finance for Toledo City Schools. John Wilkinson is the treasurer for Three Rivers Local Schools outside Cincinnati. Lisa Fahncke is the treasurer for Riverside Local Schools which is an hour north of Dayton. Mark Zimov is the treasurer of Madison Local Schools. All from area school districts, are they part of the recycled school group VietVet? Eric Stotzing was here predecessor. Trying to think who was before Eric. Sure seems like no one wants the job. ------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Apr 29 2011 at 3:14pm
| No, they are not John. I was referring to people that seem to make the rounds locally like the superintendent that went from Valley View to Franklin to Madison or something like that. Seems we have some career movers/transfer people who are playing musical chairs within the school districts at times. Most of the people on your list are out of area people seeking this local position. Perhaps they played the old "recycled/move around every year" game in their respective areas prior to applying here. Don't know as we normally don't get out of area information as to who has moved around alot as much as we receive the movers in our own little world. |
Posted By: Smartman
Date Posted: Apr 29 2011 at 3:45pm
| Ed Pokora was before Eric |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Apr 29 2011 at 10:03pm
| Ed Pokora was with the district for a very long time and was a fine treasurer. |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: May 01 2011 at 7:01pm
I was supporting your very good point.
------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
VietVet wrote:Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: May 01 2011 at 7:02pm
How could I have forgotten. I'm getting old because I have great respect for Mr. Pokora.
------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: May 01 2011 at 7:03pm
I agree
------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: May 01 2011 at 8:44pm
Happens in the private sector as well...so I really don't know what your point is. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: May 02 2011 at 6:22am
| swohio75- Disagree with you that it happens in the private sector. CEO's and lesser management positions come and go in the private sector.....true. However, when a CEO (or lesser management position) leaves a company around here, they normally don't relocate to an area company like the supers in schools do. They normally locate out of state/town. Don't see execs going from local company to local company too often, do you? That was my point......the habitual local shuffling of school supers and treasurers. I think Superintendent York(?) has occupied many local super positions, hasn't he? Probably (as in speculating) announced his retirement and promptly took another super job, double dipping. |
Posted By: Middletown News
Date Posted: Jul 07 2011 at 2:21pm
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I was reading over on the Monroe site that their Treasurer took the job.
Kelley Thorpe Can anyone verify this? ------------- Please like our http://www.facebook.com/middletownusa" rel="nofollow - Middletown USA Facebook Page |
Posted By: Smartman
Date Posted: Jul 07 2011 at 3:45pm
| John, That would be correct. |
Posted By: Smartman
Date Posted: Jul 07 2011 at 3:48pm
School treasurer leaves Monroe for MiddletownBy Andy Sedlak, Staff Writer 2:18 PM Thursday, July 7, 2011 MIDDLETOWN — The new treasurer of Middletown City Schools will come from a neighboring district. School officials announced on Thursday that Kelly R. Thorpe — treasurer for Monroe Local Schools — will become the district’s financial leader starting Aug. 1. Thorpe, a Miami University graduate, has more than 15 years of experience in finance and education. She has served as the treasurer for Monroe schools for the past four years. Thorpe will see her salary jump from approximately $67,000 a year at Monroe to $85,000 per year in Middletown. She’ll go from overseeing a staff of three to a staff of eight. Middletown’s operating budget is almost five times larger than Monroe’s. “It will be a challenge to go from (Monroe’s) $18 million operating budget to Middletown’s $70 million operating budget,” Thorpe, 41, said. “I’m excited. It’s a wonderful opportunity for me professionally.” Brett Guido, a member of the Monroe school board, said in a special board meeting last week, the district made the decision to have Daniel Hare, of the Butler County Educational Service Center, conduct the search for Monroe’s next treasure. However nothing has been decided as to who might fill in until a new treasurer is hired. In June, the Middletown Board of Education approved a resolution that served as a uniform salary reduction for all district employees. Employees will be paying an extra 5 percent on their health insurance premiums and, in each of the next two years, they will take a 1 percent salary cut. The concessions made by other employees will be reflected in Thorpe’s new three-year contract, said Marcia Andrew, president of the Middletown school board. Andrew said Thorpe’s input over the next three years will be vital as changes at the state level continue to unfold. “To be honest, we’re looking to her to help us navigate those waters,” Andrew said. Thorpe and her husband, Brad, have two sons: Andy, 17, will be a senior at Monroe next year and Matt, 15, will be a junior. Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or asedlak@coxohio.com |
Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: Jul 07 2011 at 3:59pm
| Gotta love it.Ill bet we aren't good enough for her two kids to go to school here but see how fast she took an 18,000 $ raise.Do ya think she will have to sterilize her self every day before she goes into her house ? |
Posted By: ground swat
Date Posted: Jul 07 2011 at 8:11pm
| Bocephus- thats terrible but I'm LOL! |
Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Jul 08 2011 at 10:06am
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Simply goes to show how the Ohio school systems are all the same, and have the mandate associated with curriculum, and statutory rules to abide. The movemnet back and forth is insulting. It shows that consolidation within the state could save billions of dollars in redundancy. Think of a school district as a district office for IBM. They sell the same products, but each county has it own buses to maintain, its incredible redundnant overhead. Think of the IBM branch in Middletown having a EVP, 20 to offivers, a treasurer (CFO), about 9 physchologists, in other words, everything youd expect at the corporate site in Armong New York.
There my friends, is your Ohio public school system. Riddled with redundancy, inefficency, waste, and billions could be taken out in a matter of a few years by central consolidation So, its no different in function, for a treasurer in a small town like Monroe, to hop right down to Middletown, in a larger district, the functions are the same, the distance just 5 miles. That's why the midwest is so enamered with overhead, from the state workers, the county workers, the state universities 9among the top 5 in the nation), and the school system. Inefficiency rules. This movement illuminates such in a startling manner.
Time the state whittle away another few $ bb in the school dustricts and consolidate central functions. We do not need every county in Ohio having their own corporate office for the same product, the same function.
I'm moving south, Texas, as the cost of gas, the deteriation of the rust belt, and the shell once called with pride Middletown, will see no return to glory. Add up the top 5% ranking of the public school system (university), and this state has more problems than any solutions it can bring to the table.
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Posted By: Middletown News
Date Posted: Jul 08 2011 at 3:36pm
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You guys don't know what you are getting yourselves into. As much as Ms. Thorpe is a nice person, she is a victim of the peter principle.
I once overheard her say that Monroe has plenty of time to fix the 2014 insolvency issue. Look at her http://www.mainstreetmonroe.com/Voice/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23371%20 - projections for Monroe Schools and you might want someone with a greater since of urgency. No plan is in place to fix Monroe's school budget. ------------- Please like our http://www.facebook.com/middletownusa" rel="nofollow - Middletown USA Facebook Page |
Posted By: Smartman
Date Posted: Jul 08 2011 at 8:28pm
Hey acclaro.... BYE!!!!! LMAO!!!!! 
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Jul 09 2011 at 10:31am
| Hey Smartman, anyone who criticizes your school system you like to pull their feathers don't you, but AJ Smith, others, you tar and feather them. What benefits you is all you care about. But...it will be a pleasure to get the hell out of this city and i am so thankful to be able to do so. Let you rah rah the school system as they gave your daughter that 4.0 GPA wasn't it you said a year ago? Assuredly, your influence had nothing to do with my decision, it just took six years to find a buyer for my house. Save your jokes for the next CI ranking Smartman. You might think that's equally funny....I don't, it cost me money. |
Posted By: sassygirl
Date Posted: Jul 12 2011 at 10:47am
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Isn't the new treasurer , Ms. Thorpe, the one who had to borrow money to make payroll in Monroe? Why would the board hire someone who would let her district get into a situation like that? |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Sep 29 2011 at 6:39am
Sep 29 Journal article.... Fiscal caution designation puts school district in financial hole MONROE — The Monroe Local School District has been placed under fiscal caution by the Ohio Department of Education. The ODE, which told the district of the designation this week, said it typically takes four years to recover from the fiscal caution status. Ulm said the issue was an “oversight” by former Treasuer Kelley Thorpe, who has since taken a job with Middletown City Schools. UH OH.......IN HINDSIGHT, DID MIDDLETOWN MAKE THE CORRECT CHOICE IN THEIR TREASURER SELECTION? LOOKS LIKE SHE CREATED AN "OVERSIGHT" (I LIKE THAT PHRASE) THAT HAS THE MONROE SCHOOLS IN A FINANCIAL "PICKLE". DID MS. THORPE KNOW THIS AND CHOSE TO "MOVE ON"? ONE COULD ASK. |
Posted By: AKBobby
Date Posted: Sep 29 2011 at 8:01am
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Oh wow....what a mess ------------- AK - What is going on with that? |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 02 2011 at 4:15pm
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9/29/2011 http://www.mainstreetmonroe.com/view_news.asp?nId=5586 - 9/28/2011 http://www.mainstreetmonroe.com/view_news.asp?nId=5582 - |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Oct 02 2011 at 4:36pm
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Mr. Beagle: You leave me speechless (a condition in which I seldom find myself  ).------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Oct 03 2011 at 6:26am
| Wonder what Middletown's graph will look like in the coming years? Hopefully, it won't take a nosedive like Monroe's apparently will under her guidance. |
Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Oct 03 2011 at 10:54am
| Good lord, does Middletown get anything right? Hire and promote a failing treasurer and give a $16,000 raise after running Monroe into ground. Hire super when he is only candidate. Beg C State to come here while they openly mock the city, "we'll take the educational risk, but not financial." Where do these leaders come? Surreal. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Oct 03 2011 at 4:08pm
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Let’s be fair about this. The treasurer can’t be blamed for the spending. The authority to spend and the financial decisions are made by others. However, there seems to be an incredible failure in the forecasting skills of this treasurer, and that is a cause for concern. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: ground swat
Date Posted: Oct 03 2011 at 5:33pm
| Please allow me-- NAY SAYERS? NAY SAYERS! |
Posted By: sassygirl
Date Posted: Oct 14 2011 at 9:46am
Oct. 12, 2011, Cincinnati.com reports: Monroe schools placed into 'fiscal caution'Do you know that the treasurer who left Monroe in a messis now the Middletown Schools treasurer. This is very scarey to me. The Middletown board must have known that she was inept when they hired her. A few months before she left Monroe, the Journal reported that she had to borrow money to make the payroll in Monroe. Is that even legal? Why would the Middletown board hire her? http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20111012/NEWS0102/110130327/ MONROE - For the first time in its history, Monroe Schools have been placed into "fiscal caution" by state education officials - and it could mean budget cuts in 2012. School officials recently announced that a $1.3 million projected budget shortfall in five years was reported to the Ohio Department of Education and that as a result the Butler County district has fallen into the state's program to maintain financial solvency through increased state monitoring. Monroe Board of Education member Brett Guido said it was after the recent departure of a former district treasurer that the projected budget deficit for the district's five-year forecast, required by state law, came to light during an audit. "The audit uncovered discrepancies that were not reflected in the five year forecast submitted to the state, and prompted us to contact the Ohio Department of Education about the findings," Guido said. Guido said the discrepancies were not of a criminal nature and that no investigation has been sought from the county prosecutor's office. "The (department) confirmed our audit would require a substantial adjustment ($1.3 million). The adjustment will result in a negative cash balance at the end of fiscal year 2012," he said. The school board, Monroe Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli and other district officials met with officials from the state education department late last month to "develop a financial plan to meet the district's fiscal and operation requirements for year 2012. This plan will also address the district's strategy for eliminating the negative balance in the general fund and provide for future long-term financial sustainability." Lolli said the plan might include budget cuts but what and how deep those reductions could be remains undetermined. Monroe Schools were created in 2000 after splitting from the adjacent Middletown Schools. Since then Monroe's enrollment has doubled to more than 2,230 students. The district now is one of only two in the Greater Cincinnati area - the other being Little Miami Schools - to have fallen into the state's financial recovery program. The initial "fiscal caution" stage is the first of three categories used by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Auditor's office to assure that public school systems are operating without budget deficits for five-year projections. Little Miami Schools are in the "fiscal emergency" stage - one of only eight in Ohio - and under full state control due to the inability of the district to persuade residents to pass new operating tax levies since 2008. |
Posted By: 409
Date Posted: Dec 20 2011 at 12:22am
From the MJ:
Monroe bond funds spent ‘improperly’School board to file misconduct complaint against ex-treasurerBy http://www.middletownjournal.com/services/staff/567577.html - Steven Matthews , Staff Writer 10:36 PM Monday, December 19, 2011 MONROE — As the Monroe school district continues to deal with a financial crisis, the district may be just months away from the Ohio Department of Education declaring it in fiscal emergency, the superintendent said Monday night. The ODE notified Monroe on Dec. 15 that it is now on fiscal watch; it had been on fiscal caution since Oct. 1. “With what we owe right now, we could end up in fiscal emergency by the end of May,” Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli said at the board of education meeting. What the district owes is $2.9 million on its Bond Retirement Fund — set aside solely for bond debt incurred when the new educational building was constructed. Those funds, a bond attorney said Monday night, were spent “improperly.” A bond issue was approved by voters in November 2001 for $29.9 million, but from January 2005 through June of this year covering a span of two former treasurers - Sharron Moon and Kelley Thorpe - $2.9 million was used to pay debt service on unvoted general fund borrowings. The school board determined late Monday night to file a letter of professional misconduct with the ODE’s office of professional conduct detailing the actions of Thorpe. Thorpe could not be reached for comment late Monday night. Brenda Wehmer is a bond attorney with Peck, Shaffer & Williams LLP who has worked with the district for 11 years “The money was not stolen and not spent on non-school purposes,” Wehmer said. “School levies are very specific. They have to go into different pots.” On average per year, the district collected $2.1 million for the Bond Retirement Fund while paying $1.8 million for that debt service. Monroe started this school year with a balance of $86,000 in that fund. The principal ($29 million) and bond interest ($28.4 million) were designed to cover a 30-year term. The board approved $2.2 million in cuts for the 2012-13 school year at its Nov. 28 meeting. Board President Mike Lane also notified the crowd that vice president John MacDonald is going to resign after suffering a recent heart attack. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 20 2011 at 6:24am
Based on 409's article, the Middletown schools would be wise to start an audit to verify she has done things properly to date. I'd be a bit uneasy knowing what she now has been accused of by the Monroe folks. Better keep a tight leash on her Middletown.......or start documenting for the purpose of termination. No one on the school board, or in this school system knew this information on this woman BEFORE she was hired?? No one asked the Monroe people about her performance or checked on her status? 
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Dec 20 2011 at 9:01am
| From what I read of the article, she certainly is not guilty nor being charged with using money for her own purposes (theft); rather, she paid debt that should not have been. Entirely an honest error. Granted, perhaps costly, but I do not think much will come out of the misconduct report other than she made a professional error. As for the vetting, one would assume she was so, and passed accordingly. |
Posted By: Stanky
Date Posted: Dec 20 2011 at 11:01am
| This is probably a political ploy of passing the buck and blaming an easy target so that Lolli and the Monroe Schools can avoid the heat from citizens. |
Posted By: Middletown News
Date Posted: Dec 20 2011 at 1:06pm
I agree, Lolli came from a district that also was in Fiscal Watch and Emergency. From Monroe News: The school board decided Monday to file a letter of [admonishment]* professional misconduct with the ODE’s office of professional conduct detailing the actions of Former MLS Treasurer Kelley Thorpe. ------------------------------------------ *Letter of admonishment – a severe, formal or official written rebuke intended to correct misconduct or critically caution against misconduct. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Department of Education’s file. The license holder may respond in writing to the letter within 30 days of receipt of the letter, and the response will also be placed in the Department’s file. OAC 3301-73-22(C) ------------------------------------------- Here's why: The bond issue approved by Monroe voters in November 2001 for $29.9 million, was used to pay $2.9 Million of debt service on unvoted general fund borrowings. The fund was improperly used from as early as January 2005 through June of this year. Two former treasurers — Sharron Moon and Kelley Thorpe — $2.9 million were in office when the funds were illegally posted. The Office of Professional Conduct will receive the letter. The office is within the Ohio Department of Education and is responsible for conducting investigations of individuals who are or want to be licensed by the Ohio Department of Education. The office investigates prior convictions as well as allegations of professional misconduct and/or criminal convictions. There is no action being taken against Sharron Moon at this time. ------------- Please like our http://www.facebook.com/middletownusa" rel="nofollow - Middletown USA Facebook Page |
Posted By: Middletown News
Date Posted: Dec 20 2011 at 1:07pm
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Also from MainStreetMonroe.com
The Ohio Department Of Education has declared Monroe on Fiscal Watch. This is an upgrade from Fiscal Caution, a condition the school has been under since November of this year. Fiscal Watch, according to ODE Auditor Mr. Roger Harding, will be declared when a school district is in an 8 percent deficit and a fiscal emergency is when a school district is 15 percent or worse. A deficit is measured by a school district's end of year balance divided into the revenue stream. The deficit for example would be 2% if a school district had a $10 million revenue stream and a $200 thousand deficit. Improper Posting The entire problem stems from 'improper' posting of fund expenditures since perhaps the inception of the district in the year 2000, but likely since 2005 or later. The 'improper posting' mistake was not found out until Treasurer Kelley Thorpe resigned in July of this year when an interim treasurer (Ken Ulm) was appointed. Financial Problem Discovered Interim Treasurer Ulm immediately found a major discrepancy which turned out to be a serious financial problem for the school district. On Monday July 25, the Monroe School Board held an emergency meeting for the purpose of borrowing $1.4 Million to keep the district from bouncing teacher paychecks. "Monroe Local Schools needs to borrow approximately $1.4 Million to make payroll among other expenses..." said Superintendent Libbie Lolli at the time. From there the school district finances were audited by Roger Hardin and Dean Horton of the Ohio Department of Education. Upon completion, MLS 5 year forcast was revised downward by millions of dollars as a result the school district was declared in Fiscal Caution. The school board was required and did file an ODE recovery plan by November 30. That plan contained another revision of the 5 year forcast by newly hired Treasurer Holly Cahall. A revison downward by a additional million plus dollars. (See graph below) As of December 15th, MLS District is officially in Fiscal Caution by the ODE. The district will likely be headed to fiscal emergency in May of 2012. Confirmed by Superintendent Lolly. 
The Graph Above Shows forecasts from former Monroe Schools Treasurer Thorpe, Ohio DOE Auditor Horton, MLS School Board and current Treasurer Cahall. More: http://www.mainstreetmonroe.com/articles/monroe-schools-declared-in-fiscal-caution - Monroe Schools declared in Fiscal Caution ------------- Please like our http://www.facebook.com/middletownusa" rel="nofollow - Middletown USA Facebook Page |
Posted By: Middletown News
Date Posted: Jan 09 2012 at 4:20pm
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http://www.mainstreetmonroe.com/articles/misconduct-letter-filed-with-ohio-department-of-education - Misconduct Letter Filed with Ohio Department of Education Looks like our new treasurer will be suspended by the state for a period of not less than 3 years but not more than 5. ------------- Please like our http://www.facebook.com/middletownusa" rel="nofollow - Middletown USA Facebook Page |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 13 2012 at 6:36am
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Today's Journal...
Tough problems loom for Monroe schools District likely to end up in fiscal emergency mode It’s a financial mess that — due to accounting errors — traces all the way back to 2005, covers a span of two treasurers, Sharron Moon and Kelley Thorpe, and now will likely result in the district being placed in fiscal emergency by the state auditor’s office. School officials allege Thorpe — who became treasurer in June 2007 — compounded the issue, misspending money out of the Bond Retirement Fund on general fund operating costs. The first payment out of the fund that wasn’t facility-related was a $271,000 Xerox copier lease Thorpe has declined to comment throughout this process and Middletown school officials have said they are confident in the treasurer and will wait until the state releases its report on the issue. Ernie Strawser, vice president of public finance for Baird, was brought in to conduct a financial forecast after interim treasurer Ken Ulm found bills that were still unpaid In total, $3.1 million was misspent out of the Bond Retirement Fund. There were 33 pages of transfers to the general fund that weren’t known or approved by the school board. The remaining $1.4 million of the $4.5 million projected deficit comes from operating expenses State auditors have been at the Monroe board office since January, and their report is expected to be filed by March 31. Annual audits performed from 2008-2010 missed the Bond Retirement Fund transfers. Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. performed those audits, and Monroe terminated its contract with the firm with two years remaining. A message left with the firm was not returned ISN'T THIS THE SAME AUDIT FIRM THE MIDDLETOWN SCHOOLS USE? WOULD IT BE WISE TO LOOK AT THEM AGAIN, CONSIDERING MONROE JUST FIRED THEM FOR OVERLOOKING SOME MAJOR TRANSFERS? LOOKS LIKE BETWEEN MOON AND THORPE NOT DOING THEIR JOBS CORRECTLY, HAS PLACED THE MONROE SCHOOLS IN SOME MAJOR DEBT. I WOULDN'T BE SO FAST IN ENDORSING THORPE JUST YET MIDDLETOWN. YOU MAY HAVE TO TRY AGAIN, AFTER THE INVESTIGATION, TO LOOK FOR A COMPETENT TREASURER. |
Posted By: ground swat
Date Posted: Feb 13 2012 at 7:16am
| Never ends!! One layer trying to manage another layer. Wonder how all those folks who jumped ship from MCSD and Fenwick are feeling right now? |
Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Feb 13 2012 at 9:18am
| GS, I doubt they are in a hurry to run back to MCSD and the ongoing issues there. |
Posted By: Marcia Andrew
Date Posted: Feb 13 2012 at 2:06pm
| The audit for the Middletown City School District was conducted by Balestra, Harr & Scherer, CPAs. (This is not the CPA firm that audited Monroe). The CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) for the district for the last fiscal year, ended June 30, 2011, is available on the district website, http://www.middletowncityschools.com - www.middletowncityschools.com -- To get to it, on the district home page, click on Board Docs, then on Library, then on Treasurer's Office. The 5-year forecast for the district is also posted in that library. Marcia Andrew |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Feb 13 2012 at 3:13pm
Correct me if I'm wrong Ms. Andrew. Didn't the Middletown schools use the fired Monroe audit firm at one time or was it the city who used them? Might be confusing school auditors with the city. Thank you in advance. |
Posted By: ground swat
Date Posted: Feb 14 2012 at 7:12am
| Agree Bill, know one wants to see this happen. Since 2003 many of us knew the bubble would bust on the housing market and the inflated numbers of home values. New schools thrown up everywhere with IMO know thought of a possible down turn. Very concerned about the hiring of this Monroe employee, it's a position that requires close followup from others in the Admin. |
Posted By: Marcia Andrew
Date Posted: Feb 14 2012 at 9:52am
| Viet Vet, I only have knowledge to answer as to the last 12 years. The Middletown City School District has not used Clark, Schaeffer & Hackett for at least the 6 years I have been on the school board. For at least the 6 years immediately before that, I know they didn't use that firm, because one of the Middletown board members was a partner at Clark Schaeffer and so the board was prohibited from hiring his firm. I don't know which firm the City uses or used. Marcia Andrew |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: May 02 2012 at 6:34am
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Today's Journal....
State recommends fiscal emergency for Monroe schools MONROE — The state could soon take over financial control of the Monroe School District. Officials with the Ohio Department of Education confirmed Tuesday Monroe’s fiscal recovery plan was not accepted and they recommended to the state auditor’s office the district be placed into fiscal emergency, which would be a first for any Butler County school system Last fall, an independent review of the district’s financial records showed that Monroe was in a “significant deficit situation” that may have been ongoing since 2009. The district’s five-year forecast showed projected deficits of $1.6 million and $2.7 million for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years respectively. It was then learned that the district faced an operating deficit of around $1.62 million, plus MONEY WAS MISUSED from a bond retirement fund. That misuse of funds created its own deficit of $3.1 million. Those funds were allegedly moved by the school’s FORMER TREASURER without board approval KNOWING THAT MIDDLETOWN HIRED THIS "FORMER TREASURER", DOES THIS MAKE ANY OF YOU A "LITTLE NERVOUS" ABOUT HER OCCUPYING THIS POSITION IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM? SHE IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED CONCERNING THIS, ISN'T SHE? WHY WAS SHE HIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE WITH THIS KIND OF BAGGAGE? SURELY SHE DIDN'T GET THE JOB BASED ON HER MONROE PERFORMANCE. |
Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: May 02 2012 at 1:04pm
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Vet its beyond words as to why the school board would still let this woman work any where near Middletown Schools or their financial well being. It astounds me how stupid the people we elect to serve us can be. If you are one of the few that could have stopped this woman from working in our district then please resign because you havent the sense that god gave a goose. But then again the damage will be done and the people responsible will have moved on. |
Posted By: Murdock
Date Posted: May 02 2012 at 9:07pm
| Whats even better is according to the information presented at the State of the City address last month, Middletown has made a MARKED turnaround in many areas!! All of which has happened since your new treasurer was hired!! As if Middletown City Schools problems werent bad enough!! Nice job Middies!! LOL |
Posted By: Marcia Andrew
Date Posted: May 03 2012 at 10:14am
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Vet and Bocephus, MCSD hired Kelley Thorpe last summer and her first day with MCSD was August 1, 2012. We vetted her as we do any candidate for treasurer or superintendent (the only positions hired by the board). We talked to quite a few people in the Monroe schools and they all gave her very strong recommendations. Monroe did not discover its current problems until after Ms. Thorpe left her position with Monroe. The state has not finished its investigation, and has not charged Ms. Thorpe with any wrongdoing. To my knowledge, no one from Monroe or the state has even contacted Ms. Thorpe to ask for her side of the story.
The timing, that Monroe did not know of any issues until after Ms. Thorpe was employed by MCSD, is apparent just from reviewing this thread. To state the obvious, since it does not appear to be obvious to some on this board, Middletown could not know something that Monroe did not even know.
Marcia Andrew
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: May 03 2012 at 10:44am
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"Last fall, an independent review of the district’s financial records showed that Monroe was in a “significant deficit situation” that may have been ongoing since 2009. The district’s five-year forecast showed projected deficits of $1.6 million and $2.7 million for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years respectively.
It was then learned that the district faced an operating deficit of around $1.62 million, plus MONEY WAS MISUSED from a bond retirement fund. That misuse of funds created its own deficit of $3.1 million. Those funds were allegedly moved by the school’s FORMER TREASURER without board approval" Ms. Andrew.... Certainly this information, now known to all, should prompt a question in the minds of the school board and others, concerning your choice for treasurer. She was the treasurer for Monroe during this time period, was she not? If so, she is responsible for monetary matters involving treasurer duties. IF....IF she is found at a latter date, to be charged with this activity, I would hope the school folks would reconsider their choice. and select another candidate, or at the very least, place her on watch while in that position. That's all we're saying. |
Posted By: sassygirl
Date Posted: May 31 2012 at 4:50pm
| Before the Middletown BOE hired the treasurer, her reputation was in question. Go back into the archives of the Middletown Journal. You will want to know why they hired her in the first place. |
Posted By: sassygirl
Date Posted: May 31 2012 at 4:58pm
| The Ohio Department of Education says that Middletown Schools got a D- overall. Mr. Mayor should be more careful about where he gets his information. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jul 03 2012 at 6:45am
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Today's Journal.....
Monroe district sues its former treasurer District claims she neglected her duties. Kelly Thorpe forced the schools into financial turmoil, civil suit says MONROE — Monroe Local School District has filed a civil lawsuit against former school treasurer Kelley Thorpe, claiming she neglected her duties and forced the district into the financial turmoil it now sits in. The lawsuit states from 2008 through 2011, Thorpe, who is now Middletown City School District’s treasurer, failed to act reasonably and failed to exercise ordinary care in the performance of her professional duties. This is the first time Monroe officials have sought action against Thorpe since they claimed the district was millions of dollars in debt due to accounting errors. The Middletown accounting firm Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. and the bonding company that represents Thorpe’s work were also named in the lawsuit filed in Butler County Common Pleas Court. According to the lawsuit, Thorpe should have known that certain expenditures she authorized could not be paid out of Monroe’s bond retirement fund ... that certain transfers and/or expenditures were illegal and/or impermissible; and that she had failed to properly identify and disclose all relevant facts to the school district regarding its funds, accounts and financial statements. WELL, THE BEAT GOES ON FOR MIDDLETOWN'S TREASURER. STILL WONDERING WHY MIDD. SCHOOLS HIRED HER BASED ON THE SCENARIO IN MONROE. WAS ALL OF THIS CONSIDERED DURING THE HIRING PROCESS? |
Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: Jul 03 2012 at 11:42am
Hey she did such a great job of wrecking Monroe schools why wouldnt they want to hire her ??
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