Omaha Parent Group Embezzlement

Part of Disturbing National Trend

 

The alleged embezzlement of $4,700 from the Parent-Teacher Organization at Florence Elementary School, 7902 N. 36th St., seems like a ton of money for a low-income area. But it's actually small potatoes compared to the alleged embezzlement of more than $800,000 from a Kearney public-school foundation (see GoBigEd.com earlier this week), and the overall rate of school embezzlements nationwide.

 

For an eye-opening glance at this problem, just google "school" and "embezzlement," or "PTO" and "embezzlement."

 

Uff da! Hundreds of citations.

 

Why is this happening? It used to be that PTO groups were led by the most credible, reliable, admirable people in any given community. And that may still be true, most places. It also used to be that the gym or school library were packed with parents on PTO meeting night. Not any more, for the most part.

 

In most schools today, the number of people who are willing to regularly volunteer and provide those necessary checks and balances for fiduciary oversight, such as PTO funds, has dwindled. It is very tough to recruit officers at most schools. The more capable people, mostly mothers, are for the most part, working, at least part-time, or engaged in other volunteer activities.

 

Consequently, you get more people "on the edge" -- who aren't quite as experienced and stable as in yesteryear -- who aren't working and thus may have more time than money -- and may manipulate other parents and the school staff into thinking that they are highly efficient when in reality, they're crooked.

 

In a situation like that, the temptation to steal and cheat is more powerful because it looks like you're more likely to get away with it . . . since nobody's looking.

 

Just another reason that each and every parent ought to be doing something to volunteer at school, if for no other reason than to keep each other honest.