A school’s student government or associated body is supposed to serve students and give them a voice. However, the student body shouldn’t be used or manipulated as a piggy bank. Unfortunately, U-T San Diego reports this is exactly what happened at Lincoln High School, when the school’s basketball team misused funds from the Associated Student Body.
The San Diego Unified School District bylaws in District Administrative Procedure No. 2225 prohibit ASB funds from being used for anything other than the benefit of the entire student body. It also forbids ASB funds from benefiting faculty or on-campus organizations. An audit by SDUSD reveals the team misused ASB money for several expenditures. The misused funds included about $4,250 for championship rings for players, coaches and a former principal; and $1,300 to compensate coaches hired as consultants, instead of through the district. The third party compensation of coaches also violates California Interscholastic Federation bylaws and carries a penalty of team ineligibility. The boys basketball and football teams also violated the Interscholastic Athletic Program City Conference Blue Book by receiving $1,277 of improper reimbursements from the district for officiating fees of regular season and playoff games, which was already deducted from admission ticket revenue.
The team’s misuse of funds is the result of financial mismanagement, lazy accounting and corner cutting. The audit revealed the team kept no record of Nike products received through corporate sponsorship, even though the team’s contract states it will receive shoes, team bags, warm-up suits and polo shirts from the company until 2013.
The team also did not keep proper fundraising records and did not get approval for fundraisers from either the school principal or the ASB.
Lincoln High boys basketball head coach Jason Bryant told the U-T San Diego he didn’t realize he misused district or Lincoln High ASB funds, but there is really no excuse for cherry-picking financial rules to follow. It’s similar to a shoplifter arguing he’s innocent because he did not know stealing was illegal. It’s Bryant’s responsibility to learn all the bylaws and policies regarding finances. It’s just as important as making sure all of his players are eligible to play. As head coach, Bryant is in charge of the entire basketball program, from calling the plays on the court to controlling finances off of it.
It’s his responsibility to monitor the program’s finances, where they come from and how they’re used.
If Bryant was overwhelmed with other responsibilities, he could have given financial responsibilities to one of his assistant coaches.
This controversy sheds light on the need for tighter controls from everyone, including the school district, athletic teams, ASB, finance offices and athletic departments. Athletic and activity offices should be required to double-check the financial records of all sports teams and on-campus organizations. Stricter penalties should be placed on teams that violate financial policies. The 2004 University of Southern California football team was stripped of its national title because Reggie Bush improperly received gifts. The California Interscholastic Federation can implement similar penalties to crack down on financial mismanagement. Schools can do more to inform coaches of bylaws by having mandatory meetings in which all relevant policies, particularly the lesser known rules, are discussed.
Managing finances in a proper and ethical way is more important than winning championships. It’s important to maintain integrity both on and off the court.
