Meetings
 
Agenda Item
Docket No. 20-764
 
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RE:
Waiver request submitted by Terri Singleton, a member of the D'Arbonne Woods Charter School Board, regarding a $550 late fee assessed for filing her 2019-2020 School Board Disclosure Statement 11 days late.
Facts:
Terri Singleton is seeking a waiver for the late filing of her 2019 School Board Disclosure for the following reasons:

Ms. Singleton stated she uploaded her 2018 Tier 3 PFD Statement (due 5/15/2019) and her 2019 School Board Disclosure (due 9/12/2019) and she also mailed both disclosures to ensure that the BOE would receive her documents. Ms. Singleton stated she was informed that BOE had not received her mailed disclosures and her uploads were blank. Ms. Singleton is sure she had mailed all forms as a precaution, due to having troubles uploading forms before. Ms. Singleton emailed her School Board Disclosure to Ashley Wimberley and believed this matter to be resolved even though Ms. Wimberley's follow up email advised her that if she received a Late Fee Later to timely comply with the details of the notice. Ms. Singleton stated that the Darbonne Woods Charter School is a small school of less than 1,000 students grades K-12 and this is volunteer work. She does not receive any benefits or monetary rewards by serving in this position. She has no reason for not filing the disclosures; and she tries very hard to be diligent in sending all the forms each year. She is a retired School Teacher/School Counselor and she counsels part time, but has not been able to do much counseling due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The fine of $550 may not seem like much to some, but to her it would be a financial hardship. Ms. Singleton asks the Ethics Board to please consider that she did everything asked of her to get all her disclosures completed and submitted to the Board of Ethics. Ms. Singleton's dates are referring to her 2019 Annual PFD filing year. Her 2019 SBD was already late when the 2019 Annual PFD's were due on 6/8/2020. She is getting the filing years/dates mixed up.

Comments:
TYPE OF REPORT: 2019-2020 School Board Disclosure Statement
ORIGINAL FILING DATE: September 12, 2019

DATE NOD RECEIVED: 9/20/2019

DATE REPORT FILED: 9/23/2019
DAYS LATE FROM NOD:
11 days
DAYS LATE FROM ORIGINAL DUE DATE:
11 days
ASSESSED LATE FEE:
$550
OUTSTANDING LATE FEES:
None

OUTSTANDING CF LATE FEES: None

OUTSTANDING DISCLOSURE REPORTS: None

PRIOR EXPERIENCE: has filed 12 reports or amendments

Law:
La. R.S. 42:1119B(2)(a)(iii) requires that within thirty days after the beginning of each school year, any school board member or superintendent whose immediate family member is employed by the school board shall file a disclosure statement with the Board of Ethics stating the facts of such employment. Any person who fails to timely file a disclosure statement may be assessed a late fee of fifty dollars per day, not to exceed $1,500.
Recommendations:
Waive the late fee.
Assigned Attorney: Tracy Barker
 
 
ATTACHMENTS:
Description:
2020-764 - School Board Waiver Request Terri Singleton