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Diocese probes gift-card program at St. Charles School in Boardman
BOARDMAN
Although the Youngstown Diocese is in the process of evaluating the Scrip fundraising program at St. Charles Catholic Elementary School, police say a criminal complaint has not been lodged.
The diocesan evaluation was prompted by concerns expressed at the school and in a November letter that was critical of the school’s Scrip program, according to a diocese news release.
A copy of the November letter also was sent to the Boardman police, along with follow-up information.
“There is no official report on this. We have seen the letter. There appears to be nothing criminal at this time. We’re looking for hard facts, and there are no hard facts at this time,” said Boardman Detective Greg Stepuk on Thursday.
The Scrip program raises money by selling gift cards for purchases such as food, clothing, and entertainment, and each Scrip gift card earns a rebate for a nonprofit organization, in this case St. Charles School.
The diocese evaluation is meant to ensure the Scrip program at St. Charles School is managed according to best national practices and appropriate federal and state laws, the news release stated.
Twenty-three of the 34 diocesan schools use the Scrip program, and those funds are used to support general operating budgets of the schools and to augment school activities.
As part of evaluation, the diocese engaged Packer Thomas, an independent public accounting firm, to review the Scrip operating and accounting systems at St. Charles School.
The Packer Thomas report did document a number of issues with the manner by which the Scrip program was managed and operated at the school, specifically in respect to record keeping, inventory and financial reporting, according to the diocese release. Diocesan attorneys reviewed the results of the report and sent it to Boardman police so that police could be satisfied that the concerns raised in the November letter were addressed, the release stated.
“The Diocese takes these concerns very seriously since our schools rely heavily on private donations and fundraisers. We will investigate these concerns thoroughly and adjust the manner we operate the Scrip program in light of the findings and recommendations of the Packer Thomas report, federal and state directives, and best practices that have been successful in other schools using the Scrip program throughout the country,” said Nicholas Wolsonovich, Youngstown diocesan superintendent, in a statement.