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Schools

School Board Member Sorry for Sloppy Records

Kevin Kirberg acknowledges that he let the group's bookkeeping slide when he was treasurer, and he's working to help them reorganize.

School Board member publically apologized Monday for poor record keeping when he was serving on the CAPE board.

The apology came after current CAPE co-vice-president Betsey Vinson addressed the school board, saying that Kirberg’s incomplete treasurer reports “brought disappointment to a long-standing organization.”

After the meeting, Vinson said Kirberg, who served as the CAPE treasurer for two years, had sloppy bookkeeping, causing individual schools to have a hard time balancing their budgets.

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No money is missing, according to an auditor reviewing at the CAPE finances, and Kirberg is not accused of any wrongdoing, Vinson said.

But, she said, Kirberg left the CAPE situation in a mess when he left after being last year.

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Current CAPE treasurer Heather Drake said she has been trying to sort through two years' worth of records and has had to recreate a new check register.

Speaking to the board and CAPE members in the audience Monday, Kirberg said he wanted to apologize for “far less than detailed enough record-keeping.”

“It’s not an excuse, just an explanation,” he said.

He added that he regrets not making CAPE a higher priority and would not have wanted to do anything to inhibit CAPE’s organization.

Kirberg has also worked to resolve the issues with CAPE for many months, Supt. John Harper said.

On Tuesday, Kirberg said he has been working with CAPE to answer questions about the bookkeeping when he was treasurer. He said he was very involved in a lot of volunteer work with the district and let the ball drop with CAPE.

“I’m more than willing to accept responsibility,” he said. “I’m committed to doing my best moving forward to help CAPE be successful.”

CAPE, short for Coordination of Administration and Parents Groups for Educational Efficiency, is made up of district office administrators, building principals and assistant principals, each school parent group's president and/or co-president, one representative from each parent organization, District 202 board members and district liaison officers to foster communication. It also works on the annual fall homecoming parade and hosts a volunteer recognition awards ceremony in the spring. 

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