Saturday, October 02, 2010

So ... Now What ?

Something Stinks!
It's been over three weeks since the School Committee received the report from an independent auditor outlining  examples of financial mismanagement at the Community School.  Committee members received the report in advance of their meeting, yet seemed unable to ask the auditor a single relevant question.

It's on the agenda again this week, but I suspect the auditor will not be driving down from Burlington again -- so who are they going to discuss the issues with?   I have to assume the plan is that they will discuss them with nobody -- then they can pretend there are no issues.  Again.

I'm not sure why they couldn't have discussed the report with the auditor present.  They certainly weren't new issues -- myself and others have been complaining loudly about them for three years.  It also couldn't be from lack of knowledge since two of the members previously sat on the Community School's board for years -- before the last School Committee disbanded it.

What I think is most amusing is that the local "media" who was previously so quick to jump on every rumor and innuendo, and report it as Gospel fact -- seems unwilling to touch this story with a 10 foot pole.  The fact that the prior allegations have now been confirmed by an independent auditor is apparently just not as "interesting" as the original unfounded allegations.

(Click here for original story & copy of audit report)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nobody expects the School Committee to actually correct what’s wrong with the Community School. That would require understanding the problems, acknowledging the failures, holding people accountable and implementing real change. That will never happen. This is why the School Committee and the Administration has no credibility.

Result? The School Committees’ willful management negligence will mean that neither the Schools nor the Community School will receive any additional taxpayer aid - no budget increase, perhaps even a massive cut and no support for an override. Over time the school system will be gutted by a series of regular budget reductions designed to do little but preserve teacher jobs. It will be a mess and those that notice and can afford to, will move their children elsewhere. Will the last one out please turn off the lights?