School Board Troubles
Getting in
trouble with the under the Gold Dome Sch Bd regulators, that
ain't nothing new for the County Clay Bd of Edumacation.
Almost exactly 10 years ago, Feb 2013, the hammer came down
during the Kenneth Tanner administration. Nope Nope Nope,
don't put the hammer on KT, he was just the fall guy when
things turned to crap on his watch. Here's why.
For years, maybe decades, much of the financial problems with the gazillion dollar operation, it was hid from the public. The debt load didn't show up on what the public was provided.
Back then and after years of hiding debt, the Suits under the Gold Dome told local leadership, stop that crap, make it public by placing the debt load in the correct accounting column. Think millions of under the rug expenses. Translation: want something and you don't want the public to hear about it, hide it. Stuff like the bloated out of control school lunch program comes to mind first.
Translation #2: The Pentagon could no longer call massive debt as "casual debt" and get by with it.
For years, maybe decades, much of the financial problems with the gazillion dollar operation, it was hid from the public. The debt load didn't show up on what the public was provided.
Back then and after years of hiding debt, the Suits under the Gold Dome told local leadership, stop that crap, make it public by placing the debt load in the correct accounting column. Think millions of under the rug expenses. Translation: want something and you don't want the public to hear about it, hide it. Stuff like the bloated out of control school lunch program comes to mind first.
Translation #2: The Pentagon could no longer call massive debt as "casual debt" and get by with it.
That shift
in accounting came during KT's time in office and he and his
team had to deal with it post haste. No two ways about it,
tough budget cuts were demanded and it was up to the
Superintendent to do the very unpopular roll backs or face a
take over by the State folks. It was that close!
Above is
the letter Tanner sent out denoting the future for the school
system and employees. He called it a change from a "wants
based" order to a "needs" based spending of funds. Cut backs
were severe. That fat and more were being cleared away.
It worked.
At the end of his time in office, the $4.6 million debt was gone and a surplus of funds was on the books. Tough work but that's what leadership is all about.
For the many problems now in the school system, the monkey is on Superintendent Joan Haynie. That's not an enviable job to have in 2023.
AW
It worked.
At the end of his time in office, the $4.6 million debt was gone and a surplus of funds was on the books. Tough work but that's what leadership is all about.
For the many problems now in the school system, the monkey is on Superintendent Joan Haynie. That's not an enviable job to have in 2023.
AW