Niles school treasurer placed on leave

By Jordan Cohen | July 2, 2019 at 12:05a.m.

Move comes a week after commission’s criticism of records

By JORDAN COHEN

NILES

One week after the Financial Planning and Supervision Commission’s sharp criticism of Niles School District Treasurer Lori Hudzik for inadequate financial record keeping, the school board voted to place the treasurer on “an unrequested leave of absence,” a leave that may become permanent.

The board, meeting in emergency session Monday, voted to hire Lori Simione as “treasurer pro tempore” at a rate of $300 per day to be paid to the Trumbull County Educational Service Center, where she already serves as treasurer.

The board’s motion states Simione will assume all the treasurer’s duties and responsibilities.

“This will allow us to move forward [with a] fully functioning treasurer’s office,” said schools Superintendent Ann Marie Thigpen in response to reporters’ questions after the two votes.

She said that there had been conversations with fiscal commission Chairman Bob Foss and commission member Giovanne Merlo, Niles city auditor, before the board’s decision.

Niles schools have been in fiscal emergency since last February, and the commission oversees the district’s financial recovery.

Two board members, Rebeca DePanicis and Tony Perrone, told The Vindicator they did not know if Hudzik will ever return as treasurer and would not speculate about her future.

Thigpen said Hudzik has accrued 20 days of sick leave that would be paid as part of the leave of absence.

After that?

“There may be another meeting,” Thigpen said.

Hudzik, who did not attend the emergency session, has been school treasurer for 18 months. The district’s state-appointed fiscal supervisors told the commission last week the treasurer had been unable to reconcile bank records and complete financial projections, both of which are required by the state.

The supervisors said they had to do the work for her, which led to the criticism of Hudzik’s performance from commission members.

An attempt to reach Hudzik for comment was unsuccessful Monday night.

Simione is a certified public accountant. Among her duties is to serve as “interim treasurer on a short-term basis for Trumbull County districts in need of a treasurer” according to the ESC website.

The center provides cooperative programs and services for the county’s 20 school districts.