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Use of fundraising money targeted in school probe

Thursday, May 21, 2009
(Updated 5:58 pm)

GREENSBORO — Guilford County Schools has widened its investigation into Northern Guilford High’s athletics program and is looking into whether money from several fundraisers and the school’s booster club may have been misappropriated.

On the day that most — but not all — nonfaculty coaches were allowed back on campus, investigators spent Wednesday afternoon at the school questioning football coach Johnny Roscoe and several of his assistant coaches about where football players lived, according to sources knowledgeable of the investigation.

Investigators also pressed for information about how money was raised and spent from an annual football fundraiser, according to sources. The sources asked not to be named because the school system’s investigation into Northern Guilford, now more than six months old, is ongoing.

Former boys basketball coach Stan Kowalewski said Wednesday night that investigators asked him earlier this month about fundraisers held by the basketball team and how that money was spent and managed.

“They wanted a better picture of how teams were handling capital and where it was being run through,” Kowalewski said.

“Some teams were running it through the booster club, some were running it through school accounts, some (through) checking accounts they had set up for themselves. It was a mess.”

Kowalewski said he was confident that money generated from the basketball program’s fundraisers has been managed properly.

He said the club has greatly improved accounting for revenue since becoming a charitable organization last year.

Since announcing last month it is investigating Northern’s athletics program, school system officials have maintained they were focusing on student eligibility.

Wednesday’s revelation is the first indication that investigators are looking into potential misappropriation of funds.

School system officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Football coach Roscoe, who has not spoken publicly about the probe since officials went public with the investigation April 10, did not return phone calls seeking comment — nor did officers with the Nighthawks Athletic Boosters Club.

The inquiry into the football team came on the same day that most nonfaculty coaches learned they could return to the school.

Interim principal Pat Spicer mailed letters earlier this week to the coaches, informing them that all but the school’s nonfaculty football coaches could return to the school.

Schools Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green said last month he imposed the ban to keep “certain coaches” from impeding the investigation.

Guilford County Schools announced last week that Northern Guilford’s athletics program used five students in four sports and cheerleading who were ineligible because they lived outside the school’s attendance zone.

Two of those students played for the boys basketball team, an infraction that led the North Carolina High School Athletic Association to strip the Nighthawks of their state basketball title.

The baseball team also used two ineligible players, resulting in the team having to forfeit all its victories, as well as a berth in the state tournament. The wrestling team and junior varsity softball team also forfeited wins.

Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.com

Accompanying Photos

File photo (News & Record)

Photo Caption: Northern Guilford High School

Comments

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tiffani716

May 21, 2009 - 12:05 am EDT

Something really stinks at this school! They really ought to clean house and get some reputable staff and adminstration in there! I won't be surprised by anything I hear coming from this mess! Guilford County should be ashamed!

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 8:25 am EDT

Obviously Mo Green is working in that direction.

whatcanIsay

May 21, 2009 - 6:57 am EDT

Where is the NCCAAP when you need them? or Jessie Jackson for the matter?

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 8:25 am EDT

With any luck, far, far away. We don't need those two down here stirring the pot any more than it is.

JustMy2Cents

May 21, 2009 - 9:28 am EDT

I thought there was an article the other day saying they were getting involved! :-( They need to stay out of it!

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 10:41 am EDT

The NAACP is getting involved, which they shouldn't. But Jesse Jackson is not, so far as I've heard. He's the one who just needs to keep his nose out of this.

BelieviNG

May 21, 2009 - 7:10 am EDT

Truly, what is next? Will the never ending "search for truth" uncover a body on the campus at Northern Guilford?

At this point, I just feel that Guilford County Schools is trying to justify the expense of an investigation that would bring about similar results if applied countywide. There are few elite sports programs that could withstand this scrutiny.

A recent News and Record article showed where other area athletic directors were distancing themselves from the "reasonable scrutiny" standard that the County has applied. The real surprise would be to find that similar issues aren't going on at most other schools in the area. Look at the high school rosters. Then examine the middle schools that these students attended.Parse through the academies and special programs that can circumvent the residency issue and you will find the same problems.This wouldn't take Jill Wilson or tens of thousands of dollars to accomplish.

If we have done wrong, we will correct it. But do not "scorch the earth" at one school for problems that exist countywide.

The real question is: If there were a dead body on campus, could any more punishment be applied? We will withstand the wrath of the County and move forward. We will lead in graduation rates, college placements and the other real reasons that students are attracted to our school. And we will, win again!

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 8:27 am EDT

You said, "But do not scorch the eart at one school for problems that exist countrywide."

So, what I'm hearing is we should ignore the rules, they don't really matter because everyone does it. Don't set a good example and follow through with what you tell kids about honor and character, because heck, no one has it.

What a crock.

And in case you haven't been paying attention: Green is looking at more than just Northern.

Jimmy Jones

May 21, 2009 - 8:54 am EDT

BelieviNG,

This is similar to a business audit or a medical audit. There is an inquiry, the auditors get their answer, but something else pops up during that inquiry. This seems to be what has happened.

Keeping "some" of the non-faculty coaches from the football team is probably the best thing they could do. The street pimps or "street agents" , as college recruiters call them, need to just stay away from the program.

Bang201

May 21, 2009 - 9:08 pm EDT

believe that's the 3rd time I've heard that used. How can you get back to high graduation rates and high college enrollemnts when NO ONE HAS EVER GRADUATED! You guys keep using these academic reason that DO NOT EXIST. Oh by the way when you do start graduating people you should have high rates based on socioeconomics alone. Do your homework and stop claiming some academic reputation that could not possibly exist yet.......except from the mouths of the real estate agents selling the property out there.

summerfield01

May 21, 2009 - 7:35 am EDT

Who enrolled these non-eligible students? Surely someone in an administrative/clerical position has more responsibility to verify addresses, etc., and confirm a student's right to be at any particular school anywhere in the district than a sports coach. I would hope that by the time a student filters through the adminstrative end of enrolling, and works their way out the other side onto a sports team, that all the coaches should have to do is coach that sport. Why are the coaches the ones who appear to be primarily under fire here? Who let these ineligible students in the door in the first place? I can't imagine that this is anything but the tip of the iceberg for a district-wide problem that requires a total overhaul of the actual enrollment process, complete with enrollment accuracy verification steps. Coaches should just coach and administrators should step up and administrate.

GCS Parent

May 21, 2009 - 9:11 am EDT

EXACTLY!!! Where is all the public outcry and blame that Northern's SIMS operator should be getting? Along with the guidance counselor, asst. principals, etc.??? It is not the coaches obligation to verify eligibility upon enrollment. If the parents are going to lie, why is that the coaches fault? The mountain of paperwork we all do to enroll our kids in GCS schools does not go to the Athletics Department. It goes to the central office. I am NOT defending these particular coaches. I have to assume that the investigation revealed that the administrators "overlooked" information that would have brought this to light. Or else, it would just be the kids getting punished (and therefore the parents). When kids are caught cheating on tests the teacher is not the one who gets punished. Now if the teacher is "allowing" the cheating, they need to go too.

JustMy2Cents

May 21, 2009 - 9:33 am EDT

This is true. . . you will note, the principal has "resigned". The SIMS operator and the rest were most likely just doing what they were told to do . . . But if a coach gets a student he already coaches. .. . and knows where he/she comes from and its not within district. .. they are still responsible, too!!

GCS Parent

May 21, 2009 - 9:44 am EDT

I TOTALLY agree that the coaches are responsible for what they already know, and meant to say as much in my last post. If ANY staff member becomes (or is already) aware of a students elligibility violation they are responsible to report it to the admin. If nothing is done, they are ALL acountable. And as we have seen, Mo will show them the door. I think a lot of this would be avoided if there were NO non-faculty coaches. The basketball coach has CLEARLY shown he has no respect for or responsibility to the school or GCS. He only cares about "his" players. Why exactly do we need non-faculty coaches? Maybe because the focus is on winning not teaching???

ilvteaching

May 21, 2009 - 9:55 am EDT

We need non-faculty coaches because a lot (maybe most) teachers DO care about teaching and don't want to spending hours in the afternoon coaching. They already spend hours in the afternoons grading papers. Remember, many of these non-faculty coaches are volunteers and without them we might lose some of our programs. Someone suggested that head coaches should have to be teachers - maybe that would work.

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 10:43 am EDT

But not all of them are volunteers, and being a volunteer doesn't keep your ego from getting in the way, like with Coach Kowelewski.

Coaches should be teachers who need to keep their teaching jobs to coach, to keep their priorities straight.

baseballcoach

May 21, 2009 - 11:23 am EDT

eliminate non-faculty coaches at the middle school level and you would either shut down or severely hamper a lot of middle school's sports programs. some schools just do not have staff willing and/or able to coach certain sports. i agree if a qualified staff member is available and willing they should be given priority over an outside coach. but when a school lacks qualified candidates to coach sports, the athletic director should be able to go outside the school and hire qualified non-faculty. there are many non-teaching coaches who, for whatever reasons, chose to not go into teaching. does this mean they are not qualified to teach school sports and not qualified to be role models and mentors to young men and women? does having a teaching certificate and teaching at a school mean you will make a good coach? the athletic director, along with the principle, should be able to hire non-faculty coaches if, in their opinion, it would make for a better situation for the team. i, as a parent, have witnessed one of my kids basically waste a season in one sport at the middle school level because the teacher hired turned out to be a joke of a coach. as a result of this lost season and overall bad experience, several of the athletes gave up on the sport, which is not a result that any administrator would want. bottom line, the coaches, whether faculty or non-faculty, work for the athletic director, who works for the principle. athletics, while not the most important part of our schools, can provide very positive experiences for the student-athletes. and that starts with good, responsible coaches, whether faculty or non-faculty.

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 1:55 pm EDT

No, it means that the purpose of public education is to educate.

Sports were non-curriculum activiteis last time I checked. They are nice to have but not essential.

I would not shed any tears if a middle school didn't have sports. There are always community leagues like the Jaycees for that.

barbati

May 21, 2009 - 7:00 pm EDT

Sports are important. Students who are involved in sports have fewer discipline problems and are less likely to drop out. Moreover sports events are important community building activities. BUT the programs must be run in an ethical manner. Page's coach said in one of the emails that the nonfaculty coaches were a major problem. He's probably right. Perhaps nonfaculty coaching could be eliminated at the HS level.

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 11:13 pm EDT

Students involved in sports get a slap on the wrist when other students get expelled. A classmate of mine on the football team threw a CHAIR at a sub, and nothing was done. I don't see that things have changed much.

Sports have a place. They are not more important than academics, but that's something the sports promoters want to ignore--and that's the core of the problem.

whatcanIsay

May 21, 2009 - 9:57 pm EDT

The SIMS operator enroll kids based on information given. They do not asked if they play sports. Sports has it on rules. I am sure it is many NON-eligilbe students attending the wrong school, but if that student decides to play sports, that is up to the AD and Coaches to determine the legality of residence.

jrburcham

May 21, 2009 - 9:02 am EDT

The residents of Guilford county deserve anything they get from Guildford County Schools. GCS is a joke and has been an embarrassment for years. I am a life long resident of Greensboro and am thankful my children are out of school.

JustMy2Cents

May 21, 2009 - 9:38 am EDT

Excuse me!!! I beg to differ!!! We have some of the BEST teachers, BEST schools, and BEST students you could ever ask for! GCS provides opportunities in FEW areas of the country and excel in state and national competitions of ALL types!!!!! Wake up and smell the coffee!! Schools have changed . . but I assure you GCS has LOTS of AWESOME things going on!!!! Take the time to find out!!

I am sorry to see this happening here and I know it (and much worse) happens in other places, too. . . . but overall we have an EXCELLENT system and I am thankful my children go to school here!!! As a matter of fact, I stay here JUST for the opportunities GCS provides!

It's a shame that the children suffer based on the actions of immoral, unethical adults!

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 10:45 am EDT

Oh come on! North Carolinia is 48th in the country in education. The educational system here sucks. I know: I have to teach these kids in the community college system after the public school system spits them out.

Half of them don't know what subject verb agreement is. They can't pronounce complex terms. They think Wikipedia is the best learning resource out there. They can't write, can't read, and won't think.

Our public education system is a joke.

tledford

May 21, 2009 - 11:59 am EDT

Panacea, do you have a link to a site that provides this information? When I saw "48th" I immediately knew that it was true 40 years ago but was pretty sure we had climbed higher than that since. However, when I started searching via Google, I was unable to find a reference that boils "education" down to a single factor. I did, however, find TONS of stuff that shows that North Carolina is no longer anywhere near the bottom. Here's an interesting dissertation on the Montana State University website, but www.census.gov has plenty of stuff to support this, too.

http://www.msubillings.edu/CAER/quality_rankings_of_education_in.htm

I think your number is really really outdated, but if you have a link....

ForTheKids

May 21, 2009 - 12:22 pm EDT

thanks tledford. good statistical information!

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 2:40 pm EDT

I stand corrected. As of 2009, North Carolina ranks #30 in the nation. My data was a few years old, I admit.

Here's the link for the American Legislative Exchange Council which gave an overall ranking of North Carolina at #30: http://www.alec.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Report_Card_on_American_Educ.... Discl

Another site rated NC at #27 based on the Nation's Report Card: http://www.psk12.com/rating/USthreeRsphp/STATE_US_level_Middle_CountyID_....

So things have changed, and I apologize for using old data.

Illiterati

May 21, 2009 - 9:23 pm EDT

But we're still in the lower 50%. Not so much to brag about if you ask me. If our school's standing were a grade, it would be an F (sub-50%).

JustMy2Cents

May 22, 2009 - 9:38 am EDT

Maybe if you think its so bad here you should go somewhere else! With an attitude like that, your students won't know anything when they leave you either! The system is far from perfect. . .but believe me, we have some awesome opportunities and programs and students doing incredible things!! I know. . I see them every day. . . If people would support the system instead of cutting it down it could get even better!

JustMy2Cents

May 21, 2009 - 9:27 am EDT

Considering this school has only been in operation for a couple of years and the administrator got to hand choose the ENTIRE staff himself. . . . doesn't say much for him .. . guess that is why he is gone!!! Very sad that what should have been a fantastic new addition to the GCS system is turning into a major scandal!!! Very sad!! It is pretty hard to teach the children ethics when the ones who are supposed to be teaching them display NONE!!

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