Don't Bring Your Check Books
Why do parents need to bring a checkbook to a mandatory meeting on the Public High School Campus?
Watchdog continues to receive information that Foundation Representatives are still sending out notifications to Students and Parents with the following language:
xxxxx EXAMPLE xxxxx
There is a mandatory Athlete meeting XXXX at lunch XXX. There is a mandatory parent meeting also XXXX at XXX in the XXX as well. A XXXX specific meeting will follow. Please bring your checkbook. A single make up meeting is XXX for parents, and XXX for the XXXX. Same times and locations. You must attend one of these to play. If you have attended a meeting this year for another sport you only have to go to the XXX specific portion.
In May 2017, the Union Tribune did an in depth story about fundraising for athletics on the Torrey Pines High School Campus. Later, USA Today High School Sports carried the story with the following in quotes:
Since May 2017, countless questions have been asked to the District about the flow of money between the District and the Foundation(s). These questions have been in many public forums, in the press, from Watchdog, etc; with no real answers...until maybe now.
Let's recap
The Foundations, according to District Policies are School Connected Organizations working for the sole benefit of raising money for District Schools. Governed under school board policies 1230, 1231, 3290, which state: “until such time as it is accepted by the Board and received by the District, however, a gift or any funds related to such shall not be used or handled by school personnel.”
According to recent public records, a number of donations that WE THE COMMUNITY make to the Foundation(s) to benefit a particular school – is not making it to school program use.
Public records specifically asked about donations to certain athletic programs at all four high schools.
The public record response: what is on the gift logs reflects ALL donations and gifts received.
Now, we know from our story “Who will Solve the Case?” There is a huge gap in donations per the Gift Logs.
The District has now confirmed through its response to public records, the only funds and gifts they receive are reflected in the Gift Log as School Policy requires.
Known Facts
Watch the latest Board Meeting, the District Staff assured the public that our recent financial audit was very positive and the District is doing the right things as a District, so no programs are in jeopardy of being cut.
Confirmation by the District that the only path for Donations to the District (this includes a school sites) is through the Gift Log. There is a huge gap in the Money raised by the on campus foundation(s) and the donations actually making its way to the District. * So again we ask, where is the Money going? *
District Personnel have confirmed that during the Student Summit, a number of students admitted to not participating in athletics because they can’t afford the costs.
Students also wrote to board members the same thing about the over burden of costs that the former Superintendent brushed under the rug.
So again we ask, what is the Checkbook for?
Eventually, leadership and ethics will prevail in SDUHSD, the real question is when will that be?