Ten months before a string of thefts at Patterson Mill Middle/High School totaling more than $10,000, a felony theft of more than $1,000 occurred at the school on February 6, 2009. The earlier theft involved cash and personal checks stolen from the office of the school’s lead secretary, according to a report from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. The funds in both cases had been collected by Patterson Mill in relation to school activities.
While no charges were filed in either case, HCSO spokeswoman Monica Worrell told The Dagger that law enforcement was aware of the earlier crime during the investigation which followed the thefts of more than $10,000 between December 9, 2009 and September 16, 2010.
That investigation was concluded in July of this year, with HCSO representatives saying at the time that the Harford County State’s Attorney’s office declined to prosecute due to “too many questions surrounding employee accessibility [to the money] and a lack of accountability in the handling of the money.”
Before the entire series of Patterson Mill thefts, a 2008 state audit had recommended that Harford County Public Schools improve controls over its collection of cash and check receipts, and school officials reported that the auditors’ recommendation had been followed in a December 2008 report to the Harford County Board of Education.
After the Patterson Mill thefts in 2009 and 2010, Superintendent Robert M. Tomback issued countywide procedures for the management of funds collected at all schools. The procedures were adopted and made effective July 29, according to documents obtained by The Dagger.
Auditors Called for Improved Controls Over School Funds in 2008 Report
Auditors from the Maryland General Assembly Office of Legislative Audits noted the need for better controls over funds collected by Harford County Public Schools, as indicated by the following excerpts from their May 2008 Financial Management Practices Performance Audit Report:
“The HCPS internal auditor conducts audits of school activity funds. The internal auditor’s review and testing of the school activity funds at HCPS schools identified some control weaknesses at certain schools that were addressed by school management. The internal auditor’s reports we reviewed did not disclose any fraudulent acts and the control weaknesses identified were not prevalent, but were isolated to particular schools.
Recommendation:
HCPS should improve controls over its collection of cash and check receipts by ensuring accountability and safeguarding for these collections from the time they are initially received until they are deposited at a bank. Independent verifications should be performed to ensure all amounts received were deposited timely and intact, and agreed to related receivable records (when applicable).”
Harford County Public School officials reported that the auditors’ recommendation was “done”, in a December 8, 2008 presentation to the Harford County Board of Education. The thefts at Patterson Mill began two months later.
Monetary thefts in HCPS have occurred six times in the past three school years, according to data supplied to The Dagger by HCPS. In addition to the two felony thefts at Patterson Mill, thefts of either school funds or funds belonging to individuals occurred twice at Edgewood Middle, once at Havre de Grace High and once at Homestead Wakefield Elementary. In each of those four cases, the amounts were under $500.
Superintendent Issues Procedures for the Management of Funds Collected at All Schools
Teri Kranefeld, manager of communications for Harford County Public Schools, said in an e-mail that the school system’s policies and procedures for handling school activity funds were breached in the $10,000 string of thefts at Patterson Mill, which occurred between December 9, 2009 and September 16, 2010. But the policies and procedures in place at the time of the Patterson Mill thefts have not been made public, despite repeated requests by The Dagger.
After the Patterson Mill thefts, Superintendent Robert M. Tomback issued countywide procedures for the management of funds that are collected by all schools, according to documents dated July 29. An accompanying procedure manual, also dated July 2011, outlines methods for the proper control, collection and deposit of cash and checks related to school activities. The manual includes a series of forms to be used by schools whenever such funds are collected, deposited or disbursed.
The new procedures also outline the duties of school staff and place responsibility for the proper financial management of funds collected by schools as follows:
“The financial management of all school activity funds shall be the responsibility of the Principal. Proper financial management of school activity funds includes the safeguarding of funds, maintenance of sound accounting practices and adequate internal controls, authorization of expenditures, recording of receipts and expenditurs using a uniform chart of accounts, timely and accurate reporting on the use of school activity funds and compliance with all laws and regulations.
Principals shall be responsible for the orientation of staff in regards to all policies, procedures and manuals pertaining to school activity funds.
The duties required to properly safeguard, account for and manage may be delegated to the degree deemed appropriate by the Principal, however, ultimate responsibility shall remain with the Principal.”
Below is the complete HCPS Procedure for Management of Funds Collected at Schools, adopted and made effective July 29, 2011.
The first theft occurred in February 2009, more theft and higher amount ($10,000) stolen in 2010 and in October 2011 guidelines are put in place? Throw this bum Tomback out!
Guidlines put in place in July. It appears the angry PPM parents are attempting to resurect this story.
I am also curious as to WHY parents weren’t informed that checks were stolen along with the money. They can call about Back To School Night and make other frivilous announcements, but when it comes to large amounts of money mising and/or a student seriously beaten in the school, no call forthcoming. I know of several parents who have outstanding checks that were never notified that they were probably stolen. Where did the money come from to pay for the items or events that the checks were written out for?
Maybe the reason no one got in trouble at PMHS was because the school system had no protocols in place and they didn’t want to be exposed for their lack of oversight. These are the same people that go to County Exec and County Council and ask for more taxpayer money every year.
Hallelujah, finally there is some demand for accountability form the leadership of the Harford County Public School System.
Nevertheless, when will they get around to taking a physical inventory of school system equipment; i.e. computers, laptops, musical instruments, sports equipment, science equipment, etc.
Several years ago a state audit, by the Office of Legislative Audits, exposed deficiencies in the way the local school system manages numerous financial practices. In particular, the school system had consistently failed to take a physical inventory of its own equipment for over ten years. At that time the Chief Financial Officer for the school system informed the school board that it was not practical to implement a policy or procedure to ensure accountability of the school system’s own equipment inventory. And the school board bought into this nonsense?
It takes some time and trouble to inventory all of that equipment and I’m sure the CFO does not have the staff to do it therefore he/she has to rely on others to get it done and done accurately. In the public school environment that reliance on others is really impractical (but should not be) for lots reasons you can imagine. The other reason not to do an inventory, cynic that I have become, is that you know that the results will be miserable and, at that point, you have a tiger by the tail. You can’t fix it and you can’t not fix it.
This is not a CFO issue it is a Superintendent issue. If the Superintendent respects the fact that all of the aforementioned stuff that should be inventoried was actually bought with taxpayer funds then he/she will demand an accurate inventory and will put in to place processes and policies that make sure stuff doesn’t ‘disappear’. If the superintendent doesn’t think it is a priority then it won’t be. Apparently it isn’t a priority.
Okay, here goes the preaching. The Superintendent is responsible for much more than educating the kids. The Superintendent manages a large organization that delivers transportation, food, health, security, education, and lots of other services and has a quite significant budget and lots of personnel. If the superintendent can’t manage ALL of that well then they are the wrong fit for the job. In my view, when an audit activity tells an organization that it is doing something wrong then there should not be an option to fix or ignore. The option is get it fixed or be replaced. If the Board allows the head of the organization to ignore audit recommendations then the Board is at fault as well as the Superintendent. If the County continues to fund an organization whose Board and Superintendent ignore audit requirements then they also share in the blame. And the final link in the chain of responsibility is you and me. We provide the money and we elect the Council. As taxpayers and voters we have allowed it all to continue.
Wally,
Sad, but true. Everything you say is sad but true. May I suggest that the root cause of a lot of this baloney is wrapped up in a few small words that are indicative of a mind set that must be ruthlessly crushed? The school system refers to this as “their own equipment”. That mind set leads to the attitude “It’s our stuff, we will do with it what we think best and we don’t need anyone else making unwelcome suggestions so butt out!”
I maintain that the equipment was bought with taxpayer money and the equipment has been graciously ‘loaned’ to the school system who is expected/required to treat it with the respect that goes along with borrowing something that actually belongs to another.
Good news! The Superintendent of Baltimore County is not seeking a new contract. Maybe Dr. Tomback will find his way back to his turf….if they will take him back.
If money is turned in immediately to the office and put in the school vault, there should be no problem at all!
The procedure has always been very clear and simple. Collect funds, turn in, receive a receipt from secretary and money is put in the vault… the end. Safe and secure… not rocket science.
The procedure has not always been as you state or this problem would not exist; it is not simple or people would have followed and this problem would not exist.
LOL at the Dagger for trying to stir up the story again. LET IT GO! I don’t understand why this site has such a grudge against Patterson Mill.
George: I don’t think the Dagger has a grudge against PM at all. Do you think that if this happened at any other school that it would swept under the rug? I don’t have kids in school but I am quite interested in following this continuing saga. The deeper the Dagger digs, the more is discovered. Too bad every medium isn’t as thorough. Good job Dagger.
Moomie nothing is new in this story that was not known by anyone attending and reading BOE minutes since July. I suspect the author knew all this then but is stiring the pot.
George, to be clear, is it theft/loss of tens of thousands of dollars from EVERY public school you’d like us to let go of or just from THIS particular school?
Please clarify.
George I think it is obvious the educational corospondent and the author of this piece have a grudge against the principal. They will do anything to paint him as the villian but make Patterson Mill look good. I suspect she is why the Kyle Reddish story got pulled from the dagger because it makes PPM look bad and is not the principals fault.
Don’t blame the Dagger, George. Blame people like me.
We have the grudge against people who recklessly mis-use money that came from us. Patterson Mill is just the latest in a long litany of mis-users.
George…the reality is most people know about the authors grudge, and feel the DaggerMess is a complete joke. It’s the same ole users posting comments about this stuff every time.
QUOTE: “The deeper the Dagger digs, the more is discovered. Too bad every medium isn’t as thorough. Good job Dagger.”
lol…classic!
Cdev, please produce the minutes of the school board meetings wherein the news contained in this story can be found, namely that a felony theft of over $1,000 occurred at Patterson Mill prior to the string of thefts totaling over $10,000, and the subsequent public release of new procedures for the management of school activity funds at all schools.
I did not, and would not, withhold such information for a time in order to “stir the pot”.
In fact, I was alerted to the earlier $1,000 theft by a recent, anonymous comment on The Dagger. Seeking confirmation, I contacted HCPS, which did not respond to my inquiry or to a question I asked at the same time about how often such thefts occurred in HCPS.
Once I confirmed the February 6, 2009 Patterson Mill theft through the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, I went back to HCPS to press for the information about thefts at other schools. As indicated in the story above, no felony thefts of funds occurred in any of the 53 Harford County Public Schools over the past three school years, except for the 2 felony theft cases at Patterson Mill.
News of the new procedures issued in July for the management of school activity funds reached me from a number of sources and I was able to obtain a copy of them just prior to the date of the story above.
You are entitled to your opinion that this story is not newsworthy, but I will not stand by while you or anyone else impugns my integrity with unfounded conjecture about motivations and events you know nothing about. I stand by the facts as reported in this story and I will report further developments should they arise at Patterson Mill or at any other school that is funded for and by the public.
What can you do, Cindy? It’s just Cdev being Cdev.
Having said that, I was also curious about the disappearance of the alleged rape story in the Dagger. News is news.
Cindy you had long since published the story on the felony theft and you above linked the procedures which where adopted on July 29, 2011!!!!!
Cindy you had long since published the story on the felony theft and you above linked the procedures which where adopted on July 29, 2011!!!!! I know you go to meetings of the BOE and are very intelligent. I also know ALL teachers got inserviced on this in August as my wife had to sit through an hour long slide show. This is not news it is olds. You can stand on your on-line soap box and act all high and mighty but the reality is you are not trying to be constructive but simply stir the pot, when it is convienent for you!
cdev: do us all a favor and actually READ the story if you’re going to comment on it. Here is your comment from above:
“Moomie nothing is new in this story that was not known by anyone attending and reading BOE minutes since July. I suspect the author knew all this then but is stiring the pot-CDEV”
– First, you have no idea what you are talking about. the story was about NEW items to the reading community: 1)the FIRST felony theft that had not previously been reported here; it was a COMPLETELY separate case, 2)The issuance of procedures AFTER everything happened, and after HCPS CLAIMED that “procedures” were breached. The Dagger was just doing what HCPS refused to do: making them public. 3) the legislative audit that cited deficiencies in cash handling at HCPS. This is important context that is relevant to the story, don’t you think? and 4) As the story states, that the 2 felony theft cases at Patterson Mill were the ONLY 2 felony theft cases in the whole system during the past 3 years. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE FACTS IS NOT ONLY NEWSWORTHY, BUT YOU AND EVERY SINGLE STAKEHOLDER SHOULD BE OUTRAGED AND DEMANDING ANSWERS. Let me make it clear: There was an audit in Dec. 2008 that advises better cash procedures, which HCPS replied “done” to, THEN, there was a felony theft in February 2009 at PMMHS, THEN a 9-month long string of felony thefts began in December 2009 at PMMHS, THEN in JULY 2011, HCPS issues procedures, which they claimed existed before that, THEN, the cash box is found out of the safe and unattended in September of 2011 at PMMHS. And who does your crowd attack? the principal? Nope. The superintendent? Nope. The thief? Nope. You do the most sensible thing and attack Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Keesling and Ms. Mumby. This is absolutely surreal!
– Second, since your claims are false, and once you discover that your claims are false, I would hope that you have the decency and guts to come on here and apologize.
– Third, you choose to use your mistaken information to arrogantly and incorrectly claim that you know Ms. Mumby’s motives.
– Fourth, in your follow-up posts you not only contradict your earlier posts, but I defy anyone reading this to even decipher them.
There’s a few people on here that would rather shoot the messenger than face the facts of the situation.
Ignoring the facts while making ad hominem attacks on the reporter won’t change the facts. And trying to shout down, mis-characterize or discredit honest reporting won’t silence honest reporting. Thank God for that.
PTB you claim I did not read when your version/re-hash does not match the story as presented above.
The whole “opps” piece is a disaster in and of itself. Read the comments you have two guys who can’t even remember the date they went in there acting like they are PI’s!
I will not appologize because I think that the author has some real objectivity issues (about this piece and the opps piece) and she is not able to admit them.
Dr. Freud, please tell me that you’re a comedian. Because if you’re not trying to be funny, then I have one more piece of advice for you (besides turning on Spell-check, Grammar-check, Common-Sense-check, Reality-check and Some Semblance of a Clue-check on your computer): turn in your drivers license for the good of all of us.
Have a good day, cdev. Myself, I’m due back on the planet earth now. See ya later.
No comedian, That said….
Since there was a problem, as no one in there right mind would deny, would you not want the BOE to issue a policy to fix it. The investigation closed in July. The best time, one would think, to revise policy is the summer. This was issued in the summer right after it was closed.
In fact in the “opps” piece Cindy quoted Terri Kranfield as saying
“….Our policies and procedures regarding the management of school activity funds were breached and we are working with those individuals involved to identify areas for tighter controls……”
In the many follow up comments to that story it was mentioned, more than once, that such a policy existed. The Athletic Handbook, availible online at HCPS, even condenses these procedures. Either a) Cindy took a real long time to get this memo or b) she sat on it until a slow news day. Since I know she is well connected with many people in the school system who would not bat an eye lash to give her such a policy I can be pretty sure a is not the case.
While I commend Cindy for some of her more well researched and thought out pieces like the superintendent search. Her objectivity when it comes to writing about PPM is in serious question!