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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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dcolin

May 21, 2009 - 7:57 pm EDT

Keep all the sports you want.

Bring back four years of PE and inter murals

One rule.

All coaches must be full time teachers.
No exceptions.

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 11:19 pm EDT

I rather like the idea of bringing back 4 years of PE. It would do wonders for the epidemic of obesity in kids to make them get up and be active.

There's nothing wrong with kids playing sports intramurally as long as the teacher keeps control on the "win" freaks who do everything they can to torment weaker kids into not playing so the "team" can "win."

Get A Clue

May 21, 2009 - 10:52 pm EDT

High school sports are extra-curricular activities. If you don't know what that means, then here are 4 letters you have just earned: STFU. Now go back and earn these next 3 if you care to join this debate: GED.
Return Physical Education or mandatory intramural sports and fitness to the school day. Let those interested in team sports join traveling leagues and take up their own time and money in doing so.
There are 450 NBA players. MLB has a roster of just over 1,000. The NFL boasts about 1,700 on its lists. So assuming you were one of the few who paid attention in high school and that you're not innumerate, you immediately understand the futility of wasting so much money, time and resources on high school athletics as well as holding out the promise of perhaps someday turning pro.
Men who play children's games earn millions of dollars and most of your admiration.
Men and women attempting to educate your children are taking pay cuts and still spending their own money on school supplies for overcrowded classrooms and definitely not earning your never-ending scorn about how easy they have it. And you occasionally wonder why our nation is in such a mess.
Shame on you.

Panacea

May 21, 2009 - 11:20 pm EDT

Well said.

Jimmy Jones

May 22, 2009 - 8:57 am EDT

Get A Clue,

Where are the college statistics? I didn't see you post any statistics showing how many kids actually play college sports. UH? I guess you didn't want to do that, because it would have inflated the numbers by millions...While I disagree with teachers taking pay cuts, I think your about as ignorant as they get. Most parents will understand that their kids will not play a professional sport, and I think that the majority of the parents are okay with this. Most parents want their kids to attend college for continuous development and improvement of their children. If they are good enough to play pro ball, then that is just a plus, but I don't think you will see too many parents crying over their child getting a college degree and not making the pros. So, if anyone needs to STFU, that would be YOU...

By the way, if anyone is looking for money to help the sports programs, then the money should come from the colleges. The colleges pay for scholarships and so forth, but they make so much money that they could help out high school programs. Colleges need high school sports to continue to bank that money, so the colleges should be sending it back...My proposal is for any child that signed a scholarship offer, well, that college should pay that high school money. This would help the sports programs tremendously and not put so much pressure on the communities or counties.

TOTHE POINT

May 22, 2009 - 6:43 pm EDT

Jimmy Jones I was singing along with you until you stumbled and wrote that second paragraph. There are not many colleges that make money. What you see on New Years Day (Bowl Games) are just a few and they are Division I schools with TV contracts. Division II school give scholarships as well and they mostly get those dollars from donations of their alumni. Some low level D1 schools are in this category as well. So, I don't think giving money to a HS because they recruited one of their athletes is going to fly. Also with the advent of some of these travel teams such as AAU and other associations a college no longer has to depend on HS for their athletes (in some sports). One last question what would a Division III school who does not give scholarship do under your plan? Can you see Greensboro College or Guilford College giving a school money because they recruited one of their athletes. Like I said you lost me in your second paragraph otherwise you were doing fine.

Get A Clue

May 22, 2009 - 8:16 pm EDT

"I think your (sic) about as ignorant as they get."
That should read, "I think you're (you are) about as ignorant as they get."
Just a thought, Jimmy: If you're going to call someone ignorant, it helps to not be ignorant of basic English grammar.
You're welcome.
;-)

Bang201

May 22, 2009 - 11:58 pm EDT

Get a clue it is you that is truly ignorant. HS sports don't take money away from academics they earn money that is shared by all you DA. HS football is the golden goose in Guilford county. It pays for all kinds of things around school. You raise the point that our nation is a mess, I agree. We are raising a generation of self entitled wussies! No child left behind is killing public schools. Teachers should be paid more, but not at the cost of athletics, it should be at the cost of these BS programs being forced fed us by the Federal Gov't. Let those that want to learn go to school. F$&* the rest!

Get A Clue

May 23, 2009 - 9:37 am EDT

"Get a clue it is you that is truly ignorant."
Are you related to Jimmy Jones? I only ask because you both share a 'gift' for mangling standard English. Breaking down just your first sentence we find that what you have said is, "You is truly ignorant." I is? ;-)
Incidentally, the rest of your diatribe is laced with misspellings, poor sentence structure and it flip flops between an inbred hatred for federal government programs from both the right and the left...and you wrap up with a statement that supports exactly what I've been saying all along: School is for academics, not a playground for only the athletic supporters...of which you happen to be just that. ;-) Have a nice day. Thanks for playing!

Get A Clue

May 23, 2009 - 9:41 am EDT

Jimmy, I'll type so slowly even you can keep up. ;-)
I didn't mention college sports because college sports are also deemed extra-curricular activities at the college level. Once more for Jimmy: it's not the job of our nation's high schools to fill the rosters of college teams with excellent athletes. It is their job to prepare students of sound mind and body for the rigors of college academics. That would be exactly what I wrote already: P.E., intramural sports and a very strong, well-funded academic program.
That many upper-eschelon colleges accept athletes who are ill-prepared for academics but offer great promise towards a national championship...stay with me, Jimmy...well, that's the exact same problem you have across the nation in many high schools, the latest being Guilford County Public Schools. Students effectively skirting rules and laws while administrators, coaches and janitors (?) look the other way in hopes of garnering a meaningless area championship. And all the while, academics goes underfunded.
I do apologize for the STFU, Jimmy. I'd prefer you keep talking. It's very entertaining. But I do urge you to go back and complete that G.E.D.
Oh, and a shout out to Panacea: thanks for the kind words. Your comments are mature and supported by facts and examples. (...as opposed to, say, Jimmy's "I think..." "I feel..." "I believe...") We community college educators should stick together...especially when our high schools send us unprepared students. :-)

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