A previously undisclosed shortfall of $580,000 from last year's budget was apparently moved to this year's ledger, the School Committee announced yesterday, prompting an outside investigation and the placement of the school finance director on leave.The discrepancy was discovered in recent weeks by Town Comptroller Susan Gagner as she squared away the district's books for fiscal 2007. Moving funds between fiscal years is illegal, as state law dictates that each year's budget be balanced individually.
Read the full story that Michael Morton has reported here.
Shame on the school committee and anyone else involved in burying this story on Thanksgiving Day and a long holiday weekend so town officials could disappear from public questioning.
ReplyDeleteThis story deserves TOTAL transparency and a explanation to the tax payers as to what is going on? This is a time for leaders to lead not hide.
Ken Norman
Ken, I agree it deserves transparency. It is ripe for speculation until we know what happened.
ReplyDeleteI'll be patient and let the process work its way out.