Alms for the poor! Alms for the poor!
Seems EMSD#63 is so poor that it can’t afford an accounting system that produces an traditional End-Of-Year General Ledger Summary Report. $80,000+ on a consulting contract for Williams but we can’t afford decent accounting and budgeting software!
I’ve been trying to convince East Maine School District #63’s FOIA Administrator Lynn Glickman to provide me copy of an official report under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that includes a source, title, date and page numbers. EMSD#63 officials do not seem to understand that official reports, even if they are ad-hoc reports like the one displayed below, need four items that: 1.) describe the source of the report, 2.) describe the report itself, 3.) show when the report was created and 4.) allow for collation should the printed report fall to the floor.
FOIA - 100721-001 - Need Title Date and Page Numbers
FOIA Request by Butterly.100721-001
Now this isn’t the first time I’ve had this problem with EMSD#63 returning an “official” report without critical titling information.
Tentative+Budget+Printout.070710.Db
This tentative budget, the one the public is allowed to see prior to the passing of the Official Budget in September is, professionally speaking, worthless. Mr. Bein made it clear at the 07/07/2010 Board Meeting that the 2010-11 budget numbers will change based on revenue availability. This is not unexpected.
However, as Mr. Bein stated in a Dr. Clay email to me 0n 08/04/2010, It (the tentative budget) “does not reflect final year end revenue and expense amounts as the year was not over and had not been through the accounting close process.”
The Amended Budget items (apples) reflect the full year (12 month) budget period. The Realized Ytd (oranges) reflects an number less than full year. Bottom line, we’re talking apples and oranges!
The budget can not be tested for prior year budgeting accuracy. In short, we can not determine how accurate last years budget was. That test is vital in determining the knowledge and judgment of the budgeter and the reasonableness of the new budget.
The situation we are in did not have to exist. There was enough time to do things right. There is still enough time reissue a revised tentative budget and make the September 2010 deadline should the Board and Administration wished to do so.
Our Board Leadership is Budget Ignorant.
Not one School Board member recognized or objected to this worthless and inaccurate report when it was presented on 07/07/2010. Placing title, date and page information on official reports are what professionals do. Are all our board members country bumpkins?
Board President Jane Wojtkiewicz needs to fix this situation now to restore public confidence in EMSD#63’s Budgeting Process!
Twelve months of work and this is what we get?
2 comments:
Mr. Butterly,
Have you considered going to Ms. Madigan's office with this?
Anon: August 05, 2010 11:42AM,
I have considered it. If this type of activity continues I'll probably have no choice. Will just have to wait and see.
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