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Hanretty restitution hearing postponed

by Renee Batti

A court hearing to discuss what former school official Tim Hanretty should be required to pay in restitution to the Woodside Elementary School District for misappropriating the district's funds has been postponed until Dec. 11.

The hearing, a status conference before Judge Mark Forcum, had been set for 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, in San Mateo County Superior Court, but by the time Mr. Hanretty's case actually came up before the judge, the hour was late, according to Deputy District Attorney Kimberly Perrotti.

Because Judge Forcum's schedule was tight for the rest of the morning, all parties agreed to the postponement rather than rush what is likely to be a complicated discussion, she said.

Mr. Hanretty is serving a two-year sentence in state prison after pleading no contest to embezzlement and other crimes involving the Woodside and the Portola Valley school districts.

At his Oct. 22 sentencing, he was ordered to pay restitution of more than $180,000 to the Portola Valley district, where he was serving as superintendent when he embezzled $100,926.

By the time of his sentencing, he had already repaid the Portola Valley district $120,926, and had paid the Woodside district $20,000.

The Portola Valley restitution matter was fairly clear-cut, but that's not the case with the Woodside district. In that case, Mr. Hanretty, who was serving as the district's business official at the time, was authorized by the school board in 2007 to take out a loan not to exceed $632,000, but instead forged papers to obtain a $2.6 million loan.

Although investigators have concluded that all the funds were spent on school construction projects, the unauthorized loan left the Woodside district with an unexpectedly large debt.

The district is asking for restitution of about $1.56 million in loan interest, about $1.97 million in loan principal, and more than $100,000 for attorney and accountant costs.

Mr. Hanretty, through his attorney Michael Markowitz, is challenging that restitution request.

Ms. Perrotti, the deputy DA, said when the parties meet for the Dec. 11 conference, it will be to try to come to an agreement on how much Mr. Hanretty should pay the Woodside district. But if that doesn't happen, a full restitution hearing will be scheduled.