Lycee Francais to discuss consultant’s work, finances, admissions at Monday meeting

Posted by Robert Morris at 4:18 pm schools

Jan 132013

The Lycée Français de la Nouvelle Orléans governing board will discuss a consultant’s work helping find a new school leader and hear reports on the 2011-2012 state audit, the coming year’s admissions process and current financials at its meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday in the cafeteria at 5951 Patton Street, according to the meeting agenda released Sunday afternoon. The board will also hold a closed-door session to discuss a pending lawsuit by a special-education teacher who was recently fired.

Maruchie

The news here is the report! Holy cow! Anyone wondering why the previous business manager and previous principal Jill Otis were let go, as well as why previous board members were pressured to resign, read pages 13 to 19 of the audit report – lack of controls, unauthorized purchases, unsupervised use of debit cards, Jill Otis receiving pay in the amount $29,878 in unapproved pay AFTER she resigned, a board member charging the school for a personal phone, and more. Looks like a lot of people were at the trough. So is the campaign against Montes and the Board because people are angry that that they were found out and lost a good thing? Kudos to Montes for cleaning house!!!
- UptownMessenger
  
  Maruchie, that page of the report about Otis seemed incorrect to me. It states that she resigned April 2, but the board was very clear at the April 2 meeting that her resignation would come at the end of the year:
  http://uptownmessenger.com/2012/04/lycee-francais-de-la-nouvelle-orleans-march-board-meeting-live-coverage/
  Just to double check, I went back and looked at The Lens’s article from that night, and they reported it the same way:
  http://thelensnola.org/charters/lycee-francais-board-meets-8/
  That would suggest that she continued working until the year’s end and thus would have continued being paid.
  
  I probably wouldn’t have noticed it if not for your comment, but now I don’t know what to make of this discrepancy.
  - NOLA_Flowerbomb
    
    Robert, now THAT’S a story I want to read! Can you investigate those payments Jill Otis was receiving? I’m especially interested since the report states Ms. Otis had no contract, then WHY did she still get paid? And I agree with the above poster: seems like Jean Montes came in and cleaned house. No wonder people are pissed. No more free reign of getting the credit card and ordering supplies, no more continued pay and health benefits, no more free cell phone for that board member (and please find out WHO the board member is). At least we now all know who was responsible for the financial mismanagement: Jill Otis and the old business manager. No financial reports turned over to the board for a year? I’m guessing the board held Otis accountable for that since she was over the business manger, correct? I’m curious to know how Otis made any informed financial decisions about the school without having proper supporting documentation, such as a financial analysis? Oh right, that’s why the school is a mess this year. Why aren’t the parents angry over Otis’ mismanagement?
    - Jessy
      
      Flowerbomb, I was told nearly these exact words by Sweet Olive recently. Does your $75k contract cover vicious gossiping on social media too, or do we get that for free?