Saugus athletic user fee rebates on hold

SAUGUS – Athletic user fee checks have yet to be sent due to a glitch in matching payee addresses.The School Committee approved the $35 rebate for 2013 fall and winter athletes in February, and it was told at an April meeting by Athletic Director Robert O?Leary that he had submitted the list for those receiving the rebate.But at a School Committee meeting Thursday, Pola Andrews, executive director of finance and operations for Saugus Public Schools, reported that no one had received the rebate because O?Leary had planned to mail the rebates to the address of the athletes, which was not necessarily the home of the payee.Andrews said, in some cases, benefactors like grandparents or other relatives of the athletes had paid the fee. Andrews added that, sometimes, the payee had dropped the check off at the school and the writing on the check was illegible, and, therefore, it was difficult to trace who the money had come from.School Committee member Arthur Grabowski openly apologized to anyone watching the broadcasted meeting who was upset with the delay. “This hasn?t been done intentionally or maliciously,” he said.Chairman Wendy Reed said she hoped the problem would be resolved by the committee?s next meeting.