Wachusett Finance Article
Wachusett finances could go to the
state
By Melissa
McKeon ITEM CORRESPONDENT
HOLDEN — A state takeover of the Wachusett
Regional School District’s finances could be the solution to the district’s
fiscal 2012 $1.2 million in overspending, School Committee member Julianne
Kelley reported to the board Tuesday night.
Kelley said she
learned in conversations with state Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education (DESE) representative Christine Lynch that DESE and the state
Department of Revenue (DOR) could form a control committee for the district’s
finances, and then allow them to borrow the funds to cover the shortfall. The
departments would take over the district’s finances until they believed the
district could function independently, Kelley said.
Superintendent
Thomas Pandiscio said he believed the potential methods to deal with the
deficit could leave it at about $160,000 after transfers from grants and
revolving accounts, but that on Dec. 1, the DOR would still find the district
with a deficit for the entire $1.2 million.
Pandiscio said
DESE and DOR wanted to see the district’s audit report and its accounting for
revolving accounts and grants before weighing in.
The School
Committee and administration scrambled in July and August to cover the $1.2
million in overspending after discovering the mistake, as well as a $1.5
million under-prediction for fiscal 2013. The discoveries resulted in the
firing of business manager Peter Brennan.
The district’s
transfers to cover the fiscal 2012 shortfall coming after July 15 will not be
allowed by DOR, School Committee Chairman Duncan Leith said, leaving the
district’s 2012 books in a deficit.
The district
expects its yearly audit to be completed soon. A request-for-proposals for a
company to conduct a phased forensic audit is in progress with the district’s
business and finance subcommittee.
The committee
approved using $4,850 for a procedural audit by the Massachusetts Association
of Business Officials, one members hope will uncover any procedures that need
to be changed to prevent future overspending or shortfalls.
Pauly
Well, it is not like the DOR does not know the Town of Templeton !! I think they have spent ENOUGH time trying to figure out how our past Cooridinator and past accountant played with the numbers, so the town could set the tax rate. That was the reason everyone got their tax bill late. Seems to me, some of the things they did, should be considered illegal, but what do I know ! It is not going to be a lot of work for the DOR to come in, seeing they know where we stand financially Let the DOR and DESE look at the school's books,and they will see, money was spent they did not have. After the town told them no to previous override attempts, the school did not make any changes. They carried on with no cuts or adjustments, spending money they did not have. Kind of like writing checks with a empty checking account. Oh, I am sorry, they had money in their piggy bank, so they used that until it is now gone. Now they expect a town that is broke,(no big secret here), and people who are living day to day or week to week to bail them out!! It looks like bad management,to me! What the hell were they thinking?? I am hoping the DESE and the DOR see things the same way. What happened to our School Committee's oversight ? Is the blind leading the blind?? What really matters is our town does not need the schools to drain the pond, when we are up to our neck in alligators!! It is one thing to get poor results because the town was asleep at the wheel, and another to get poor results when you have people elected to do a job, only to find they failed miserably. My opinion, Bev..
ReplyDeleteOnce again, shooting your mouth off with nothing intelligent to say.
DeleteThe reasin the school has nothing in its "piggy bank" is because for YEARS it has been bailing the town out. THATS RIGHT, the school system that you love to bash has been tryin (and succeding) to save YOU money. Well, they cant bail us out anymore. That is why we are paying an extra 60 grand a month. Because the school cant bail us out anymore. Its time for us to bail them out.
Do your homework before you speak. School taught you that!
Appontleee yu didn't get much fromm yore skoolin. Try lernin how to spell and punctuate instead of huffin and puffin ,
DeleteBevBart has done more homework and more for this town than you will ever do
And the woods thicken! Action is all that matters. Many of the towns people wouldn't even be on this blog if it wasn't constantly spreading what certain bloggers feel are facts and trashing and trying to exploit the members of this community who truly donate their time and efforts to make a positive difference. Klackity-klack hmmmmmmmm.......
Delete:)
ReplyDeleteI think PI has a touch of the old twisted sista in her!
ReplyDeleteDavid there is allot Twisted in little Templeton. Like Truth and Transparency. But I do see changes as of recent that give me hope that even with all the bickering, we will keep moving forward.
ReplyDeleteThe wheels of Templeton only go forward,It wasn't built with a reverse. We may go around in circles much like a circus but if we could turn back time, we would have had ENOUGH of ENOUGH!
ReplyDeletePut our financial blame where it belongs. The last 10 + years are a example of how to run the town in a hole! The pro was at the wheel and now his network left us with what we have to try to steer out of the spiral were in.Don't blame this board for what we have now!
I'm curious to know who was the Advisory Board Chair prior to Mr. Spring? I'm wondering if they could share their experience with reviewing the past school budgets and how they advised the town to make it work with town budgets? I'm having trouble finding info on past Advisory Board reports and information. If people are going to criticize the current Advisory Board, I'd like to know what are they comparing it to? If it is a huge no-no to use Stabilization money to balance budgets, how come this was allowed to happen in previous years both for the town and school budget?
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ReplyDeleteGood job Templetonian! It's hard to remember how much has changed....for the better with the new Advisory Board.
ReplyDeleteThe job of advisory Board is a thankless one. It is essential to have an active functioning advisory board to have checks and balances in the budgeting process. An effective advisory board looks out for the taxpayers money, as we all should.
Thank you advisory board or a job well done
Issac Mattson i believe was the previous Advisory chairman.
ReplyDeleteLMAO Nothing further needs to be said.
DeleteIsaac Matson? Didn't he just submit an OML complaint for the emergency meeting the BOS had at the beginning of July? Wow! I would think that after heading the Advisory Board, he over everyone, would understand why the BOS had to hold that meeting if the town was about to lose $691k out of their operating budget. Hmmm, now I'm even more curious to know how the past town budgets were reviewed during his term on the Advisory Board.
DeleteAgain now that class is over i hope poison ivy got the clue she has lacked.It gets so old to hear someone new come to class without it. So we have what we have here!"Failure to communicate"
ReplyDeleteIt will take you a little time to catch up "obviously' I truly hope you can/do. We need people to be involved. The school budget problem will be only one item in the future of Templeton to deal with. Problem is when that is over you'll probably go home and not give a crap about the rest of what makes Templeton ,Templeton. Your input like mine makes a difference and when it is constant about all things it is call being a participant.Being a shareholder in Templeton is to participate in the process.I can call myself a shareholder with pride and have many times.
Yes gerry,ok gerry,whatever you need gerry. Good ole days in Templeton!Nobody asked questions.
ReplyDeleteBut not now,as Dana calls us the "chosen few". I think our numbers are growing.
Ok Bubba, How much do you need Bubba?? Out of what account,Bubba ?? Ok, no problem!! Anything you need?? A town goes broke fast, when you have a person in a important position who has no clue what the rules are, or what is legal or not. It is not fair for a young person to be used in such a dishonest way. I hope Mr. Matson learns to not let people manipulate him, but his last act of a Open Meeting Complaint, shows me he still has not gotten it. Thank goodness Mr.Spring stepped up to the plate. We as a town will be in better shape a year from now, if the school issue does not wipe us out . Bev.
DeleteBUT, Isaac is on TV so he must know what he's talking about.
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