Gayle, I'm happy to hear the latest news about Deano. It sounds like the dispute now is only about money, and not about where Deano should be living. I think that part of the school's suggested resolution is reasonable, namely the scheduled visit to the school. A visit to the school would benefit everyone, because it would assure the students that Deano is being well taken care of, and they would be able to see how much happier he is now that he has a stable home environment. I'm not so sure about the school's proposal to have you "reimburse the students" for the eye surgery. You are right that there is no way to know which students contributed and how much, and most likely the money would just end up in a general school fund. Nevertheless, it would be nice for the students to feel that the money they gave has done some good. (Obviously it has, since Deano got the surgery he needed, but it seems that the school is not convinced about that.) Let me suggest a compromise. How about if you give $225 to a charity organization voted on by the students? Maybe it could go to the humane society or to a local ferret shelter in need of extra funds. That way, it would in no way seem that you have taken money from the students, and at the same time it would give the students a voice in what happens with the money they contributed. Good luck, and I hope everything works out. Give Deano a hug for me! Julie [Posted in FML issue 2884]