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Committee grills district staff over PACK/PTSO spending and missing parent-convention funds
Summary
At an Instruction Student Support Services meeting, committee members and parents pressed district staff about under-spending at several schools, slow vendor payments and a separate $9,000 parent-convention allocation that staff said is unaccounted for; staff said unused PACK/PTSO funds cannot roll over.
The Instruction Student Support Services committee examined this year’s parent-involvement spending and pressed district staff about gaps in accounting and a missing parent-convention allocation.
Chair Rob Traver opened the discussion by introducing a PACK/PTSO spending report and calling on Miss Carly Roeras to present updated figures. Roeras said the district’s updated report (dated May 21) showed most schools spent close to their allocations this year and that overall usage improved compared with prior years, but that a small number of schools spent well under 75 percent and will receive targeted support next year.
Roeras attributed some school under-spending to leadership absences. "Dumbar’s principal, Dr. Henry, and the assistant principal spent time out of the building this year," Roeras said, and the committee agreed follow-up with those schools and their PTOs was necessary.
Public speakers and committee members raised operational concerns that they said contributed to under-spending and parent frustration: slow vendor payments, inconsistent recordkeeping at schools, incomplete "title one" logs, and volunteer burnout in parent leadership roles. A parent speaker described vendors who have waited months for payment and urged clearer processes for receipts and bookkeeping.
Committee members also flagged a separate item: a $9,000 allocation for a parent convention that participants said could not be located in district records. Roeras and others said the parent convention funds come from a separate grant source (not the PACK/PTSO pool) and agreed to investigate where the $9,000 came from and whether it can be recovered or replaced for next year’s convention.
On the rules for PACK/PTSO funds, committee member Albert Penhanges gave a direct clarification: "Correct. Cannot roll over. No, they they don't use it, they lose it," meaning unused parent-involvement funds must be spent by the program deadline or returned.
The committee discussed restoring a citywide parent organization to improve coordination and state-level advocacy, but members and commenters recalled past governance difficulties, volunteer recruitment challenges, and strained relations that had stalled prior attempts. Several members suggested starting planning in August with election pamphlets and up-to-date contact lists so school-level parent leaders can be operational at school start.
The committee closed the item after about an hour and moved on to the night’s special-education agenda.
The committee asked staff to provide clearer documentation about the missing parent-convention allocation, to follow up with the principals and PTOs of schools with low spending, and to report back with reconciled accounting and any steps taken to accelerate vendor payments.
