BURBANK : Employees to Use District Credit Card

Teachers and school principals will be able to buy supplies using a Burbank school district credit card in September, rather than paying the bills themselves and waiting as long as two weeks to get reimbursed, a district official said Monday.

The credit card will be more efficient and can be easily tracked to avoid abuses, district officials said.

“This, hopefully, will provide some relief for teachers and administrators,” said Sharon Hoaglund, fiscal services administrator for the district. “From time to time we’d get calls from people who are anxious to get their money back.”

Teachers often have to pay for supplies--everything from staples to the macaroni used in classroom projects--with their own money. The discount stores that sell the items usually do not allow school district credit accounts, Hoaglund said.

The plan was approved by the school board last week on a 3 to 2 vote. Trustees Robert Dunivant and Elena Hubbell were opposed.

“I don’t feel very comfortable with it,” said Hubbell, who suggested a petty cash box for such purchases.

“Believe me, a credit card is a lot more secure than a cash box,” said Hoaglund. Monthly statements will make it simple to follow what is spent, she said.

The MasterCard credit cards will be issued through the Burbank Federal Credit Union, where the district will have a $40,000 certificate of deposit as security. The cards are to be distributed to school sites, student associations, the district service center and the administration center. Each card will be the responsibility of a principal or administrator.

The principal would sign out the card for purchases. Each card will have a $500 limit, but the district will limit individual purchases to a maximum of $25, Hoaglund said.

The district plans to pay the monthly balance to avoid any interest charges, Hoaglund said.