Larke calls loans emergencies

Richmond County schools Superintendent Charles Larke said he used discretion and only honored requests for pay advances in emergencies, but that included a down payment on a house, a family reunion and a retirement party.

The Augusta Chronicle reviewed a "representative sample" of school employee requests for advance pay or loans and found those among the reasons people requested and were given money. Some requests gave no reason at all.

"We look at these on a case-by-case basis. That's what the board told me to do - use discretion," Dr. Larke said Thursday. "It's hard for you to say what is an emergency."

He defended these instances of "advance pay," saying in the three examples teachers had earned the money by the time they received it.

Director of Finance and Accounting Anita Faglier confirmed this.

Dr. Larke said teachers who work 10 months are paid over a 12-month period, so money given as advances is considered money they have already earned.

Even so, Dr. Larke said it must be an emergency for an employee to get an advance on pay.

School board attorney Pete Fletcher has been investigating the allegation that taxpayer money was doled out in the form of loans. The investigation is part of his work to draft a charge letter documenting grounds for the superintendent's termination.

Dr. Larke wouldn't comment on individual employees, such as a central office administrator who received a $3,000 loan at about the same time she was placed on probation or a custodian who received four loans and was later fired by the board.

Board members are talking, however.

Helen Minchew viewed the requests as well and said it took "very little" for employees to get money.

"It became routine business," she said. "It was just matter of fact."

The reasons given, if given at all, were often not "dire," Mrs. Minchew said.

Employees appeared to think of their requests as loans, in some instances using the words "loan" and "borrow."

Often, they even stipulated the terms by which they would have the money withheld from their paychecks. One request set the terms for how much money would be paid back monthly over the whole fiscal year.

The initial figure was that more than $600,000 had been loaned out, but that has been whittled down to $404,000.

"That's pretty bad if we're loaning money for any reason," Ken Echols said. "I'm one of the most compassionate people you'll meet, but we don't have the right to give away what's not ours."

On Monday, board members A.K. Hasan and Barbara Pulliam issued a joint statement asking that the allegation not be considered, calling it "grossly unfair" to hold the superintendent accountable for something that has been going on with, apparently, board knowledge.

Some members dispute this. Jimmy Atkins, who serves as the chairman of the finance committee, said he did not know of the loan practice.

"He used no common sense and he used no discretion when he made these decisions," he said.

If true, it is "definitely" an offense for which Dr. Larke should be fired, Mr. Atkins said.

He said he plans to call for a "freeze" on pay advances. If necessary, the board should develop a policy and require board approval for all pay advances.

A special meeting has been called for 5 p.m. Monday. The board will hold committee meetings at 4 p.m. Wednesday and a full board meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday.