A state audit report
released only to members of the school committee
and Lawrence Public School officials reveals some
shocking deficiencies on the part of the Lawrence
School Committee. Among dozens of financial
problems found by the State department of revenue
and the Department of Education report is the
fact that the school committee, chaired by Mayor
Dowling, is not performing their legal duties
according to several Massachusetts General laws.
Not approving payroll as required by law
The audit report states; “By law the school
committee has fiscal oversight
responsibility.” The audit report also
stated “the school committee has not been
approving payrolls before city hall receives
them. The DLS has ruled that even after the
passage of education reform, the school committee
remains the head of the school department for
approving
bills and payroll under M.G.L. Ch. 41 ss. 41 and
56.”
What
this means is that the school committee, with
their spending and budgetary obligations have
been allowing lower level administrators to
approve payroll and school department employees
sign their own payroll sign off forms.
Who takes the blame for all those consultants
Gaskins was fired for paying?
“The 1997 State Auditors report revealed
that LPS had not established and implemented
adequate policies and procedures relative to the
procurement of consultant services.”
“The
authorization of expenses by the superintendent
and the review if invoices, vouchers, and
warrants by the school committee has lacked the
commitment needed to insure that expenditures are
appropriate and necessary. The school committee
should adopt a comprehensive review process and
establish closer scrutiny of expenditures by
executive staff and consultants.”
Who
is responsible for Gaskins
‘questionable’ expenses?
“With respect for questionable business
expenses, the Superintendent did admit that three
invoices that included the cost of meals for her
spouse and sister were inappropriate and should
not have been submitted for reimbursement by her.
She offered to return $373.78 for these
reimbursements. With respect to reimbursements
received for items under the relocation expense
allowance clause of her contract... Neither her
contract nor city guidelines clearly exclude such
items for reimbursement. It is noted that the
Superintendent’s reimbursement requests were
reviewed by the city’s comptroller’s
office and adjustments were made deducting
certain items. Items at issue here were reviewed
and approved.” (by the comptroller and the
Mayor)
The audit report did hold Gaskins responsible for
usurping the authority to the school committee by
hiring Dr. Drucile Stafford as a consultant when
the committee specifically voted against
approving her as the assistant superintendent.
However, the audit report clearly states who is
legally responsible for the illegal consultant
contracts.
“The general decision to use consultants and
the amount to be spent on consulting contracts
was a business decision made by the
superintendent. Funds had been budgeted and
approved by the school committee.” (However)
“The Mayor who sits as chairman of the
school committee approved each contract”
So,
How about student performance?
“LPS test scores are below the state
average. The 1998 MCAS scores were below the
state average in all subject areas for all
grades. The 1999 MCAS test scores showed the
Lawrence school district scored last out of 210
school systems...SAT scores for 1998 are below
the state average.”
Committee
not paying their bills
(and not paying attention)
“The
Lawrence city council approved $551,207 in unpaid
school department bills for Fiscal Year 1999.
...accounts payable were not forwarded timely to
city hall prior to closing the FY99 books, AS a
result these submissions were deemed unpaid
bills...The Lawrence school committee funded
these bills Fiscal year 2000 unbudgeted cherry
sheet revenue.”
In short, the audit report held Gaskins
responsible for specific business decisions which
they deemed o be “poor judgment” while
holding the Mayor and the school committee
responsible for lack of budgetary constraints,
lack of oversight on consultant contracts and
holds the Mayor personally responsible for
approving Gaskins consulting contracts,
relocation expenses and not adequately
establishing guidelines for spending procedures.
The report holds the school committee responsible
for not approving payroll since they are the
budgetary and spending authority of the Lawrence
Public schools. Test scores are dismal, drop out
rates are outrageous, and the seven member
Lawrence school committee has not been paying
attention to how your money is being spent.
Not exactly the story you read in the daily
paper, now....is it?
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