Friday, July 10, 2009

There remains a lot of policy restructuring to be done in the Monroe County school district, and the School Board no doubt will be analyzing and rebuilding policies well into the future. But board criticism of an educational partnership project with Habitat for Humanity appears to cross the line between what the School Board sees as fiscal responsibility and what the state sees as proper.

We'll preface that observation by acknowledging that, with the school district enveloped in financial scandal, no program should be granted immunity from meticulous scrutiny. And the School Board should be commended for focusing a bright public spotlight on the lack of financial oversight that has cost taxpayers -- and teachers and students -- hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But we believe some board members have mischaracterized funding of what appears to be admirable project that benefits both students and the community.

The project, funded primarily by a state grant, involved construction of a modular house at Marathon High School using the labor of students and mentors from the building trades. As with other Habitat houses, it became a home for a low- or moderate-income worker -- a teacher in this case -- with the help of a low-interest loan.

The district's contract with Habitat called for the nonprofit to reimburse the district $80,000 for the cost of the house. But it turns out that agreement violates conditions of the $80,000 Success grant, which was intended for that purpose.

The board cried foul.

"If it's our money, why don't we hold the mortgage?" asked board member Steve Pribramsky at a recent board meeting.

But the fault lies with the district -- and School Board -- for not understanding the terms of the grant. Were they more meticulous, there would have been no expectation of reimbursement. For Pribramsky to portray the situation as anything but a misinterpretation on the school district's part is disingenuous.

But that isn't stopping the board from trying to circumvent the grant rules. Because the Success grant program was discontinued statewide, there technically is no grant administrator to force the school district to return the money if Monroe County breaks the rules by obtaining duplicate funds from Habitat.

We are impressed with the manner in which Bruce Ferraro, executive director of the Marathon chapter of Habitat, has thus far represented his organization. His even temperament in the face of incendiary debate shows he is committed to ironing out the confusion in the interest of continuing this partnership in the future.

We might suggest, if it is possible without violating the terms of the grant, that he find a way to reimburse the school district for $20,000 in tools bought for the program. That investment appears to fall beyond the scope of the grant and outside the terms of the contract with the school district.

Such a gesture -- along with the commitment he has already given that Habitat will pay the construction costs of houses in the future -- would go a long way toward mollifying board members and assuring the continuance of the partnership.

In the end, students at Marathon High School got valuable home-building experience and a teacher got a new place to live. Even School Board members unanimously agree that home-building projects with Habitat should continue. What shouldn't continue are rants about losing money that wasn't the district's to start with, as it casts a pall over a worthwhile partnership.

The School Board has enough serious business on its plate that it shouldn't be distracted by attempting to play loose with the rules of a state grant.

-- The Citizen