Concern over financial control on PA

heavydawson

Hey all,

I'm the treasurer of the PA of the local national school where 3 of my kids attend. I was treasurer last year also. There's been a vice-treasurer elected to work alongside me both years (different person last year to this year).

We had a number of issues where the chairperson (who's in their 5th year of that role) was injecting themselves into what I feel should be responsibility of the treasurer on multiple occasions. They set up a fund-raising donation site last year for a draw, and I had to request access to be given to me multiple times after they initially refused (they initially just sent me screenshots of the information I was asking for). They also caused confusion over the final amount of the fundraiser by misreporting to the principal the amount from the online account mentioned earlier. I felt both the tallying and final announcement should have been the remit of the Treasurer + Vice-Treasurer.

This year it gets better. A ticket management account was created (again by the Chairperson, without my advance knowledge), which turned out to be linked to a PayPal account for receiving the funds (from the ticket management system) that I was never told even existed (and it appears to have done so for many years). I requested access to both the ticket management account and the PayPal account.

They granted restricted access to the Ticket Management account but with no access at all to the billing and/or bank A/C management settings, only the number of tickets sold and gross amount paid (so I cannot for example see the fees being deducted).

The PayPal account is even more worrying. Immediately after I'd requested access to it via the PA group chat, it appears they transferred a sum of money from the PayPal account to the PA Credit Union account. So it appears (and I've requested the complete history of the PayPal A/C from PayPal) that money was raised for the PA, sent to PayPal, and either willfully left in the account, or forgotten about and is only now in the CU account where it should have been all along.

I've already done the accounts for the year, and now I feel I have to re-state them to include the money that had been seemingly just sitting in the PayPal account.

I feel I should have direct access to all pertinent financial information in the Ticket Management account as well, so I can have the necessary information for the accounts we submit to the school for their own audited accounts. I'm actually in the process of doing this right now, and I've had to account for every cent raised, including all fees.

I haven't yet brought the last minute PayPal transfer to the committees attention (though they did see my request for account access, and they've seen the chairpersons reply telling me I have all the access I need on the ticket management site) , but am planning to do so, once I have the complete PayPal report (7 years worth). If they refuse to grant me the additional permissions I would like for the ticket management service, then I'm also tempted to write a letter to the BOM bringing this to their attention, so at least it's on the record. I have no faith anything will be done about it, I just want it on record that I feel there's a problem that needs addressing.

I should state for now there's no indication of fraud/theft, but rather just incredibly poor financial governance by a hyper-controlling Chairperson.

Looking for any advice/live experience people might have on this? I've contacted the NPC, and while they were very helpful, they pointed out that's there's no way to enforce any sort of financial management controls.

mickdw

Walk away from it. Who needs that crap.

I'd be stating everything known to date in a simple letter to the board and resign the position.

heavydawson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121396032#Comment_121396032

Oh I plan to resign, but just wondering if there any other bodies (like the parents in the school) that I should be making aware of this.

Water John

Well can you 'qualify' the accounts that you present and this then goes with the full school accounts to the auditor. They won't sign off IWT.

tabby aspreme

Do the PA hold regular meetings, and an AGM each year. If its a primary school your in, new Bom's are currently being appointed so you could be as well to wait until the new year to contact them

heavydawson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121396160#Comment_121396160

Very good point. The PA has the two BOM parents members at our meetings as per the NPC guidelines, so they at least will be made aware of the issue ahead of time. The parents BOM election took place around the same time as the PA committee elections, but as you point out the first BOM meeting with those new members won't be until after December 1st.

notAMember

Is it the chairperson of the board, or the chairperson of the PA you are talking about?

If it's chair of the PA, I'd let it be unless you see fraud, because they will age right out of the school when their kids are gone. It doesn't sound like anyone here has the wrong intention, just more that you want to be the one with the hands on the reins and reporting it, because you also have the right intentions and have been made responsible for it.

Big Bag of Chips

I'd report to the principal that there are some accounts and practices that you were not made aware of. Let them know that the chairman holds all the information. Give them what you do have and then walk away.

The PA works closely with the school and the principal. Money raised by the PA is all belonging to the school. I think there's some ruling from the NPC that the parents association is only allowed hold a certain amount of money. There's a limit on how much can be held by the PA.

Tell the principal what you know and then let the PA committee know you are leaving the position effect immediately.

There is no need for the chairman to be in charge of any of the finances or accounts. That is why commitees have treasurer's. Although in many PAs around the country (certainly in ours!) it tends to be one person who wants to take charge of everything and just have the appearance of a committee.

I'd just leave them to it!

heavydawson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121396796#Comment_121396796

Chairperson of the PA.

There's no evidence of fraud at all, and honestly that's not my concern. It's more about good governance, and the fact I'm responsible for the accounts!

As it stands the income is now wrongly stated in the the PA accounts for multiple years, and the opening/closing balances for those (and all subsequent years) should really be updated to reflect this.

I'm considering updating the relevant statements with the appropriate amounts, ( so at least the PA finances are in order ), then resigning along with the vice-treasurer as many have recommended.

AnnieinDundrum

I’d ask the auditors to look at it and alert them to previous errors. Copy the correspondence to the chairs of the pa and the board. It’ll cost a bit but they should get this corrected.

i would also suggest procedures are written down for good governance… starting with a set tenure. 3 year max per term max and only 2 terms I’d suggest. Then they’ll have to move on next year.

it’s not just fraud it’s the appearance of it that matters.