There's quite a tale of "funding" issues going on in the wealthy Roslyn (Long Island, NY) school district. Specifically, $11 million smackeroos intended for the district went instead to plane tickets, mortgages, student loans, jewelry, and acrylic nails:
Top Roslyn school officials and their friends and family siphoned off more than $11 million of district money in an elaborate scheme involving far more people and far more extravagant spending than had been suspected, a state report has found.Those implicated allegedly made mortgage payments on six different homes -- including two in Florida -- paid off personal loans, bankrolled vacations to the Caribbean, leased luxury cars and shelled out thousands of dollars at Tiffany's, Nordstrom's, Sharper Image, Coach and Rolex...
The Roslyn school scandal unfolded last year after an anonymous letter tipped off authorities that top officials had engaged in systemic misspending for a decade. So far, three former district officials -- Superintendent Frank Tassone, Assistant Superintendent for Business Pamela Gluckin and accounts payable clerk Debra Rigano -- have been arrested and pleaded not guilty to charges of grand larceny. Now auditors say as many as 29 people may have benefitted from the scheme.
Accounts payable clerk Debra Rigano - who certainly took the "payable" part of her job title to heart - allegedly lavished $334,452 of taxpayer's money on, among other things, hair and nail boutiques. And here I thought I was the only woman who could easily rack up a six-figure bill at a beauty salon.
(Via reader Ashley L.)
Update: The Education Wonks note that Long Island local Tony of A Red Mind In A Blue State has been all over this. The Wonks helpfully provide links to all six of Tony's posts on the topic.
Posted by kswygert at March 3, 2005 08:16 PM