THE COSTA MESA HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION
Background
In 2003, the Segerstrom Company gave the City of Costa Mesa (read, the citizens of this city) two million dollars as part of the deal for allowing the Home Ranch project to go forward.
The Costa Mesa City Council then gave a million dollars each to two new foundations set up to help our schools. One is the Costa Mesa High School Foundation and the other is the Estancia & TeWinkle Schools Foundation.
Each foundation was then to put its million dollars in the bank or in some safe investments and use the interest, profits or dividends to help the schools each year.
The full two million dollars is now reportedly in one or more Fidelity Investment accounts and yields approximately $40,000 to $ 50,000 for each of the foundations each year.
The Costa Mesa High School Foundation
The CM PRESS only looked in depth at the Costa Mesa High School Foundation (CMHSF), so what follows only covers that one foundation. LINK to CMHSF Website. We may look at the other foundation in the future.
How the money is distributed
During the year, teachers at Costa Mesa High School (including 7th and 8th grade teachers at the Junior High School) submit grant requests, usually in March, to the CMHSF. Grant requests often far exceed the $40,000-$50,000 available each year. We understand, for example, that there were grant requests for approximately $180,000 in one recent year.
The grant requests are reviewed by volunteer grant readers from the community. Those grant requests that are approved are then usually funded in June or July.
Examples given to us of grant requests that were funded, were for things such as sound systems, field trips, choir robes, instruments for the band, equipment for school laboratories, textbooks, cameras, and similar items.
Grant checks for $ 5,000 or more must be co-signed by Costa Mesa's Chief Financial Officer, Marc Puckett. Mr. Puckett told the CM PRESS that such checks are rare.
We attend a meeting of the CMHSF
In an attempt to get answers to some questions which were not being timely or fully answered in our email requests for information, the CM PRESS attended the Costa Mesa High School Foundation's monthly meeting this past Tuesday, October 7.
One of those in attendance was CMHSF board member William Sneen, who is also a candidate for the Costa Mesa City Council this year. In his campaign literature, Mr. Sneen states that he is a "Founding Board Member of the Costa Mesa High Schools (sic) Foundation."
During the public comments section of the meeting, the CM PRESS asked a number of questions including the following:
CM PRESS: Where are the CMHSF's tax forms (990's) for the years 2006 and 2007? These are public documents, but the only ones the CM PRESS has been able to find are from 2004 and 2005.
CMHSF: We're working on them.
CM PRESS: Section 5.7 of your By-Laws requires that the CMHSF furnish an Annual Report and Audit to the Costa Mesa City Attorney. Here's the relevant part of that section:
"Section 5.7 Annual Report and Audit. The board shall cause an annual report to be furnished to the directors and the City Attorney of the City (the "City Attorney") not later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the close of the corporation's fiscal year. The annual report shall be accompanied by an audit thereon of independent certified public accountants which shall be made available to the public. The annual report shall be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America...." (emphasis added).
CM PRESS: Where can the CM PRESS see the Annual Reports and Audits?
CMHSF: We've never done such reports or audits.
Each foundation was then to put its million dollars in the bank or in some safe investments and use the interest, profits or dividends to help the schools each year.
The full two million dollars is now reportedly in one or more Fidelity Investment accounts and yields approximately $40,000 to $ 50,000 for each of the foundations each year.
The Costa Mesa High School Foundation
The CM PRESS only looked in depth at the Costa Mesa High School Foundation (CMHSF), so what follows only covers that one foundation. LINK to CMHSF Website. We may look at the other foundation in the future.
How the money is distributed
During the year, teachers at Costa Mesa High School (including 7th and 8th grade teachers at the Junior High School) submit grant requests, usually in March, to the CMHSF. Grant requests often far exceed the $40,000-$50,000 available each year. We understand, for example, that there were grant requests for approximately $180,000 in one recent year.
The grant requests are reviewed by volunteer grant readers from the community. Those grant requests that are approved are then usually funded in June or July.
Examples given to us of grant requests that were funded, were for things such as sound systems, field trips, choir robes, instruments for the band, equipment for school laboratories, textbooks, cameras, and similar items.
Grant checks for $ 5,000 or more must be co-signed by Costa Mesa's Chief Financial Officer, Marc Puckett. Mr. Puckett told the CM PRESS that such checks are rare.
We attend a meeting of the CMHSF
In an attempt to get answers to some questions which were not being timely or fully answered in our email requests for information, the CM PRESS attended the Costa Mesa High School Foundation's monthly meeting this past Tuesday, October 7.
One of those in attendance was CMHSF board member William Sneen, who is also a candidate for the Costa Mesa City Council this year. In his campaign literature, Mr. Sneen states that he is a "Founding Board Member of the Costa Mesa High Schools (sic) Foundation."
During the public comments section of the meeting, the CM PRESS asked a number of questions including the following:
CM PRESS: Where are the CMHSF's tax forms (990's) for the years 2006 and 2007? These are public documents, but the only ones the CM PRESS has been able to find are from 2004 and 2005.
CMHSF: We're working on them.
CM PRESS: Section 5.7 of your By-Laws requires that the CMHSF furnish an Annual Report and Audit to the Costa Mesa City Attorney. Here's the relevant part of that section:
"Section 5.7 Annual Report and Audit. The board shall cause an annual report to be furnished to the directors and the City Attorney of the City (the "City Attorney") not later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the close of the corporation's fiscal year. The annual report shall be accompanied by an audit thereon of independent certified public accountants which shall be made available to the public. The annual report shall be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America...." (emphasis added).
CM PRESS: Where can the CM PRESS see the Annual Reports and Audits?
CMHSF: We've never done such reports or audits.
CM PRESS: Why not?
CMHSF: Because it would be too expensive to do them. Possibly around $5,000.
CM PRESS: Where can we see the grant requests?
CMHSF: We'll get back to you.
CM PRESS: What checks and balances do you have on funding?
CMHSF: All checks, even for a dollar, must be signed by two board members.
He's insulted
After we asked a few more questions, board member and City Council candidate Sneen said that he was insulted by our questions.
Insulted?
This is the public's money and the public has a right to know what's being done with it. The questions we asked were all intended to get succinct, straight answers for the citizens of Costa Mesa.
This is the public's money and the public has a right to know what's being done with it. The questions we asked were all intended to get succinct, straight answers for the citizens of Costa Mesa.
During the meeting, we were also told that we would have to leave the meeting when the board voted for new members. When we protested that this should be open to the public, the board relented and we were able to stay.
The new officers of the CMHSF voted in on Tuesday, are: Tom Wagner, President; William Sneen, Vice-President; Ann Bray, Secretary; Janet Krochman, Treasurer; Julia Lawson, Assistant Treasurer.
The next meeting of the CMHSF will be held at 7:00 PM in the principal's conference room at CMHS on Tuesday, November 18.
POSTSCRIPT: We have now been told informally that the CMHSF is trying to get pro bono Annual Reports and Audits as required by the CMHSF's by-laws, and we've now received an email saying that we can review the last grant request book.
---Developing------------
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POSTSCRIPT: We have now been told informally that the CMHSF is trying to get pro bono Annual Reports and Audits as required by the CMHSF's by-laws, and we've now received an email saying that we can review the last grant request book.
---Developing------------
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IN THE NEWSPEAK DEPARTMENT--FLOPSY FOLEY SAYS SHE'S AGAINST CRIME
If so, then why, as reported in the August 8, 2005 Daily Pilot, was Flopsy Foley, the ONLY City Councilmember who refused to sign a letter to President Bush asking that he enforce existing immigration laws?
And, why, as reported in the June 19, 2007 Daily Pilot, did Flopsy Foley refuse to sign another letter also urging President Bush to enforce existing immigration law?
Thanks to the improvement majority on the City Council, more than 800 illegal alien criminals have now been taken off the streets of Costa Mesa.
If Foley and her crew had been in charge, those 800 illegal alien criminals would probably still be on our streets. Maybe some would be on your street right now. Maybe they'd be looking at your house as a burglary target. Good riddance to the criminals.
Vote for Righeimer, Monahan and Bever next month and retire Flopsy, and we'll see even more criminals booted out of Costa Mesa.
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HUD--FIVE MILLION FRAUDULENT MORTGAGES HELD BY ILLEGAL ALIENS
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LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES--THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE MORE YOU'LL WANT TO VOTE FOR IMPROVEMENT
Candidate Meet & Greet Wed. October 8th, 6:30pm to 8:30pm Paularino School, 1060 Paularino Ave, CM 92626 **over**
TONIGHT--Candidate Forum--Thurs. October 9th, 6 pm to 9 pm, Costa Mesa Community Center, 1860 Anaheim Ave, CM 92627---DON'T MISS
Gary Monahan Meet & Greet--Tues. October 14th, 4:30pm to 7:30 pm OC Cigar Lounge, 2470 Newport Blvd, CM 92627
Candidate Forum--Wed. October 15th, 6 pm to 9 pm Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Dr,. CM 92628
Candidate Forum--Wed. October 22nd, 6:30pm to 9 pm Sonora Elementary School, 966 Sonora Rd, CM 92626--DON'T MISS--NOTE: THIS LOCATION MAY HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO
THE HALECREST COMMUNITY BUILDING--WE'RE SEEKING CONFIRMATION AND WILL UPDATE ASAP.
TONIGHT--Candidate Forum--Thurs. October 9th, 6 pm to 9 pm, Costa Mesa Community Center, 1860 Anaheim Ave, CM 92627---DON'T MISS
Gary Monahan Meet & Greet--Tues. October 14th, 4:30pm to 7:30 pm OC Cigar Lounge, 2470 Newport Blvd, CM 92627
Candidate Forum--Wed. October 15th, 6 pm to 9 pm Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Dr,. CM 92628
Candidate Forum--Wed. October 22nd, 6:30pm to 9 pm Sonora Elementary School, 966 Sonora Rd, CM 92626--DON'T MISS--NOTE: THIS LOCATION MAY HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO
THE HALECREST COMMUNITY BUILDING--WE'RE SEEKING CONFIRMATION AND WILL UPDATE ASAP.
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.
