OWASSO, Okla. — The Owasso Police Department is investigating alleged embezzlement through an Owasso elementary school's Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).
OPD said Marrow Elementary officials reported a check written by the PTO for a legitimate school-related purchase did not clear the bank, which led the school to investigate.
Owasso Public Schools Administration looked back several years and found multiple discrepancies and alleged illegitimate purchases made through the PTO account.
Parent's living in Owasso say they are disgusted by the allegations.
“When you find out that someone took advantage of that money that my kids went out and actually earned, it’s really upsetting as a parent. For some of these fundraisers, it’s for chrome books or it’s to upgrade their playground equipment, or it’s to upgrade all of the things that they need to learn and educate," said Owasso mom, Sara Duffey.
"It’s very unfortunate that there are people like that out there and there’s a lot of negative things I could say right now, but it’s just not good. We've got to take care of our kids. Our kids see and hear this stuff and it really affects them," said Owasso dad, Shawn Duffey.
OPD's Nick Boatman said the investigation is still in its early stages, but at this time, it appears over $100,000 of illegitimate purchases were made.
“At this particular moment there is only one individual that was listed in the original complaint and obviously the detectives will have to go through and figure out who all was involved in this PTO and start checking boxes on everybody that was involved," said Boatman.
Marrow Elementary Principal Tyler Martin sent this letter to staff and families:
Dear Morrow Elementary Families,
I am writing to inform you of a serious issue involving PTO funds for Morrow Elementary. After a review of financial records, discrepancies in the Morrow PTO account were identified. Upon this discovery, district leaders and I immediately took action by starting an internal investigation. Based on those findings, the district notified local law enforcement and a police report was filed today.
While each of the PTOs in Owasso Public Schools are separate organizations and the district is not responsible for the management of site PTO funds, we are committed to being transparent about our efforts to resolve this issue.
I understand that this news may be concerning and want to assure you that we are taking all necessary steps to address the situation. Here at Morrow, the PTO Board has been restructured with additional measures in place for accessing PTO funds. The district is also reviewing financial protocols related to site PTOs to enhance oversight within those organizations and prevent any similar issues in the future.
The Morrow PTO has always been committed to supporting our school community by raising funds for programs, resources, and activities that enhance the educational experience of our students, and we look forward to continuing that partnership.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we work through this challenge. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me
Owasso Public Schools Superintendent Margaret Coates shared this statement with families:
Owasso Parents & Guardians,
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to reach out to you today with some information regarding a situation that occurred with one of our Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTOs), as well as to provide clarity around PTO finances and their relationship with Owasso Public Schools.
School administrators at Morrow Elementary notified parents yesterday that discrepancies had been found in the Morrow PTO account following a review of financial records. Upon this discovery, district leaders and school administrators immediately took action by launching an internal investigation. Based on those findings, the district notified the Owasso Police Department and a police report was completed and filed yesterday.
First, I want to make it clear that OPS takes this matter very seriously and we are fully cooperating with OPD as they conduct their investigation. While I am deeply disappointed that this situation has occurred, I want to express my gratitude to the school administrators at Morrow, who acted swiftly and brought this situation to light. Finally, I want to emphasize that the actions which prompted the need for police involvement were that of a single individual who is no longer involved with the PTO and I am grateful to the current Morrow PTO Board for continuing to serve through this challenging time.
As we move forward together, here are a few important things to keep in mind:
PTO Oversight / Management of Funds: Each of the PTOs in Owasso Public Schools are separate organizations, similar to an athletics booster club or fine arts booster club, and the district is not responsible for the management of site PTO funds. PTO funds are overseen by parents who have been elected by the parents of that school.
Funding: Owasso Public Schools receives state and federal funding and also is supported by school bonds. PTO accounts do not contain any of these dollars and are completely separate from district funds. All of the money in PTO accounts is raised by parents and students through a variety of fundraisers such as walkathons, Popcorn & Pickle Day, Hat Day, chocolate bar sales, etc.
Audits: OPS is audited annually by an independent, private-sector accounting and auditing firm and those reports are presented each year to the Owasso Board of Education by that independent firm. You can view those audits for each of the last five years on our website here. Because PTOs are separate organizations, their accounts are not part of that annual independent audit.
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