PTO gets public props; board mulls payback

By RICK ROUAN

rrouan@vindy.com

POLAND

More than 50 people turned out at November’s school board meeting to debate the state’s determination that the middle school parent-teacher organization owes the school district $3,700.

“I’m very grateful for the community support,” said Lori Diorio, the PTO president.

A lawyer for the PTO and several current and former PTO members told the board that paying back money that financed school programs was unfair and suggested some alternatives.

Typically, the board reserves three minutes to discuss a single issue in public comment, but it allowed all who wanted to talk about the $3,700 to speak at the meeting.

For years, the PTO and Poland Athletic Department had an agreement that the PTO would collect money and tickets for middle school athletic events and split the revenue. PTO members have said that the agreement was initiated by the athletic department.

But that relationship was called into question in November when the state auditor’s office released a finding for recovery against the PTO to pay to the school the $3,700 it kept in ticket revenue in 2007.

Members of the PTO have said repaying the money would bankrupt the organization and that repaying money that had paid for school events would constitute double-dipping on the district’s end.

“If the Poland PTO has to pay the second half back ... they essentially have to pay that back twice,” said Jon Schoenike, the PTO’s attorney

Schoenike suggested two possible resolutions:

• That either the superintendent or treasurer recommend to the state that the money not be collected.

• That the PTO bill the district for the school activities it provided in 2007 and 2008 and use that money to immediately repay the district.

“In reality, you will have not spent anything. You would have received a direct benefit,” Schoenike said. “It’s a wash.”

Board members and school administrators did not speak much about the audit because it is a pending legal matter.

“I believe we all want this to be resolved in an amicable fashion,” said Frank Divito, board president.

At a meeting last week, Treasurer Don Stanovcak said he would review the PTO’s financial information and would devise a repayment plan. He declined to comment on the plan.

PTO members past and present reiterated that the money is accounted for and that the PTO should not be held responsible.

“When you look at the practice, there were a lot of people involved,” said Becky Burkert, the PTO treasurer.

“We find ourselves in a situation where our organization is being asked to take the financial burden.”

Larry Dinopoulos, a newly elected board member who has not yet taken office, implored the board to find quick resolution to the problem as the district might have to ask taxpayers for money in the future.

“These are the people you’re going to be coming to for more money, and you’re making them fairly angry,” Dinopoulos said.

Still, others believe the district is right to try to collect the money.

“Just because something’s been in practice forever doesn’t mean it’s right,” said Paul Canter, a Poland resident who runs the auditing firm Canter & Associates.