Sadly, the credibility of the district is going up in flames, ignited by the sparks of a lengthening track record of poor quality information and financial freewheelin'.
The question we have is: how can we have any confidence in the fiscal management of the Sun Prairie Area School District?
Most recently we have the district exceeding the 2011-12 budget for certain line items and using 2011-12 surplus dollars to purchase items required for 2012-13 school year. Without any public discussion. Or approval from the school board.
We also find out that the brand spanking new JV baseball field has drainage issues that is budgeted to cost $70,000 to repair. Is this not something that should have been identified earlier and made the responsibility of the contractor that graded the field?
The Ashley field costing has blown credibility to shreds. We were told that annual maintenance costs are $60,000 countless times. Then late in 2010, the district re-calculated maintenance costs at only $15,000 per year. However that figure has not been widely released. Why? Because the initial plan assumed that we'd save at least $450,000 in maintenance costs over 120 years, and therefor the district should pony up at least $450K.
And that's just this year.
Go back to last year and we have the whole candy fiasco, the inaccurate data coming out of the business office, the shenanigans which occurred at the annual meeting to name just the major hitters.
The *new* budget timeline works for the district but not for the community
This year we have heard no official word at all about the budget, and that's bad for the community. The first time we officially see any form of a real budget, the new fiscal year will already have begun.
Seriously...how wrong is that?
That's like getting your tax bill after it's due.
Like getting your position description after you start a job.
We've gone backwards, people.
We should be reviewing the state of the CURRENT budget with the community from March through June, as the school and fiscal year year ends.
At the same time, we should be reviewing plans for spending for the upcoming year.
Mid-year budget changes are (almost) entirely unacceptable
With the exception of an unexpected grant or some major unanticipated cost, we should NEVER bee changing the budgeted amount for a given budget line.
Administrators get paid the big bucks to know how to budget...accurately.
And, if we DO need to exceed the budget, isn't that what fund balance is for?
Stop trying to con us into believing that leaving fund balance alone is required to get a good rating and good interest rates. Poppycock. That's the stuff that Walker feeds us. Do we really want it from the district?
The complexion of the board has changed significantly.
We have a new board president.
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| This is a window of opportunity for a board with a new majority |
It's time to change the way the Sun Prairie Area School District does business.
But it starts with the board; it must take action to address and correct the issues.
And that action begins with a Situation Report and a public discussion.
Any volunteers?
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