Council Rock Officials Respond To PTO Investigation

Council Rock’s Superintendent has spoken out about news that Hillcrest Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Organization is under investigation for possible misappropriation of funds.

In an email to parents Tuesday, Superintendent Robert Fraser confirmed the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the possible misappropriation of funds by a former officer of Hillcrest Elementary School’s PTO.

“The Council Rock School District has no direct authority over PTOs, which function as independent bodies with their own by-laws. However, we will offer to work with our PTOs and other community-based partners to examine current procedures and guidelines with an eye on making sure there are significant checks and balances in place so this kind of thing isn’t able to easily occur. The Hillcrest PTO has already taken significant steps in this regard,” Fraser said.

Fraser said the news of the investigation should not be reflective of the school district’s PTOs as a whole.

“Our PTOs perform so many valuable services to our schools and students, and we look to them to provide many of the ‘extras’ that make schools such dynamic, fun places for our children. We are very sensitive to the emotional nature that news like this brings, and we hope that our community won’t allow this upsetting news to impact future support for our PTOs,” he said.