Schools chief: We didn't OK fundraising

The contracts indicate the money isn't for charity.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BERLIN CENTER -- The Western Reserve Schools Superintendent wants the community to know that fund-raising efforts conducted by some salespeople in the past few months aren't authorized by the district.
Charles Swindler said that P.T. Quigley Inc., a New Jersey supplier of textbook covers, approached the middle school principal late last year about providing the covers for pupils. Swindler said that while the information indicated the covers would offer advertising of local businesses, the principal wasn't aware that the company would seek donations from those businesses.
When the district found out about it, they notified residents through a community newsletter and then received notification that a second company, School Board Productions, was mounting a similar effort.
The school district wasn't able to learn where the second company is based.
The information has been turned over to the Mahoning County prosecutor's and the Ohio attorney general's offices, Swindler said.
A letter sent to the P.T. Quigley Inc. in February by the prosecutor's office instructs the company to "cease and desist from making any representation that your solicitation of funds is on behalf of or for benefit" of the schools.
Said he was authorized
Swindler said the salesman told the principal that he had authorization from the school district office for the program. When the principal discovered that wasn't true, he called the company and was assured the program would stop.
Christina Kingsly, Quigley vice president, said the program wasn't represented as a school fundraiser. The company sells advertising, it doesn't do fundraising, she said.
Kingsly pointed out that contracts signed by those who gave money read, "I understand this is NOT a charitable donation."
Merchants were told their payment was for advertising on the textbook covers and that's what the merchants got, she said. The covers were sent to the school.
"I think this is a situation where the superintendent got his nose out of joint because it was not something that he was asked about," Kingsly said.
The company collected about $3,000 from area merchants, Swindler said.
Any contracts on behalf of the school district must go through the superintendent's/treasurer's office. They aren't done on an individual building level.
"We just want to make people aware," Swindler said.