By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
July 20, 2011

Kansas Citians weren’t shy about helping Don Bosco Charter High School pay its former teachers and staff.

“We have had a tremendous amount of response to our asking for help to take care of our obligations,” Don Bosco Centers Executive Director Ben Cascio said.

Due to lack of funds, the charter high school permanently closed its doors in May – the same month the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) notified the school that more than $256,000 in Title I federal funds were in question and needed to be returned. That figure was later reduced to $214,824.33.

To recoup the funds from the defunct charter high school, DESE withheld state aid payments from the school for May and June, which totaled $191,280.26. As a result, the school said it could not afford to pay its teachers and staff for the remainder of June, July and August. Nick Scielzo, then-president of Don Bosco Centers, sent a mass email June 28 asking the public to send donations to help pay the school’s employees.

Cascio said Don Bosco received enough donations to satisfy remaining staff and faculty contracts and issue paychecks on time.

“They were super large donations from people that are really just angels,” he said. “It was just amazing. The fact that we’re so blessed to have people that love Don Bosco and love the community and the neighborhood is overwhelming. It really is.”

Asked if Don Bosco still owes money to DESE, Cascio said the school submitted a Final Expenditure Report for the 2010-2011 school year, which wiped the books clean.

“We’ve closed that chapter and we’re moving on,” he said. “I think we’ve (Don Bosco and DESE) both agreed that issue has taken care of itself and is going to be resolved.

“We can refocus our attention on the community and move forward with our charter and mission. We’re looking to honor our mission and exceed the expectations of people and do the most we can for our neighbors and community.”