Today in a special school board meeting in USD 473 in Chapman, the board voted over a month after the fact to approve the “retention bonuses” given in Chapman on June 30. Today’s vote to give out these checks on June 30th was 4 yes, 2 no, 1 abstention.
For additional info: Many questions about bonus checks and budget figures in Chapman USD 473 School District
The Superintendent and his wife received retention checks as large as anyone.
Why do teachers and staff in USD 473 get retention checks when there are so many budget problems with other Kansas schools?
Kansas schools need to be audited and the first audit should be USD 473.
Posted to:
Related:
- U.S.D. 473 board gives go-ahead for building projects, Abilene Reflector-Chronicle online, Aug 5, 2009.
- Retention payment, Abilene Reflector-Chronicle, Aug 4, 2009. pp. 1 and 8.
Earl F Glynn
Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity
Overland Park, KS
Tags: Chapman Kansas, government transparency School Budget, Tony Frieze, USD 473
This article is one-sided and doesn’t show the true intent of these checks. I would like to know if Mr. Earl F. Glynn called Superintendent Frieze and asked any questions or if he just decided to strictly slander him????? Shame on your Mr. Glynn. You are not a true reporter and you have no ethics. Neither does your “source”.
I attempted to call Mr. Frieze last week but I was told he was not available.
Please identify any factual errors in this article, or the original article, and I would be happy to make any needed corrections.
The documents obtained from USD 473 through the Kansas Open Records Act show $168,783 in bonus checks to 157 individuals. The “Payroll Journal” (http://www.kansasmeadowlark.co.....Checks.pdf) shows deposit dates of June 29, 2009 for these 157 checks, which is consistent with the June 30, 2009 date on the letter to “Returning USD 473 2009-2010 Staff.” What part of this “source” of information is in error?
A review of all the online minutes for USD 473 Board meetings (see http://cms.usd473.net/~board/Minutes.html ) shows no action of the board that authorized the checks that were given out on June 30, 2009. What part of this “source” of information is in error?
I talked to officials in three other school districts including one other superintendent, and one other board member. No one has heard of “retention” checks like those issued in USD 473 in late June. Can you identify any other school district in Kansas that received similar checks?
Let’s also review various types of defamation: Look at this wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation. “Slander” has to do with spoken words and “libel” has to do with written words of defamation. How does “slander” apply in your claim?
As a school superintendent Mr. Frieze is a public official. It is a public record that both he and his wife received $1500 “retention bonus” checks for which there was no known board approval action before today. This is all public information. How does a statement of this public information harm Mr. Frieze? Do you object to public scrutiny of tax dollars?
Everyone wants to help Chapman rebuild your damaged schools. But when public records show that the new schools in Chapman will cost three times as much as the national norms per student, and both state and federal tax dollars are used to pay for that, why are you afraid of questions from any taxpayers about why the costs are so high?
Wouldn’t I be ethically challenged if I did NOT report bonus checks in one school district when other school districts are suffering economically? Wouldn’t I be ethically challenged if I did NOT report how expensive the new schools are in Chapman? Shouldn’t such unusually high expenditures of tax dollars for bonuses or new schools result in more scrutiny and more public discussion? Why are schools are so much more expensive to rebuild in Chapman than almost anywhere else in the U.S.? Do you have an explanation?
At a time when other schools are cutting back on things, I disagree with giving any type of bonuses until schools are completed. How were bonuses calculated? What are the rules for comments at school board meetings?