There’s been a new word introduced into the discussion of the District’s budget woes: Receivership. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, it refers to when an outside entity is appointed to wind up the affairs of a business involving public interest (monies) or to manage it during reorganization. This term is used for public agencies since they technically cannot go bankrupt.This term is not to be tossed about lightly, but it has been by the District to scare the public into thinking that some state appointed accountant is going to come in and run the schools. The Edmonds School District is currently involved in a law suit against the State of Washington alleging they inadequately fund schools. They, and other districts across the State, are arguing that they cannot manage to do the work they signed-up for without more money. As a result, they will have to cede the responsibility to the state and everything will go to hell in a hand basket.
I for one am not going to buy into these Chicken Little tactics.
Nick Brossoit has little to no credibility in this argument for the simple reason of how the District got into the current budget mess. They ignored their own planning document that predicted the decline in enrollment and shrinking state funding. But more importantly, their operation is top heavy in management and has over-inflated salaries for those at the very top and their favorites. They make dumb decisions in hiring yes-men who in turn make dumber business decisions, like paying a vendor $11,000 to reconfigure seven cubicles.
If Nick and the Board are such experts at finance and budgets, where are all the ground leases for the Maintenance and Transportation Center and the old ESC site? What about the overpayment for the New Administration site? Did the District really get a good outcome for the price? Just where are all those dollars that would finance the construction costs of the building? At least the state can guarantee the amount of money they will hand over for each enrolled student.
The sky isn’t falling. But it should fall on leadership at the District.
Claire Olsovsky
6 comments:
I am not so sure that receivership would be a bad thing.
It just appears that Nick Brossoit is trying to convince his loyal followers that current conditions are solely the result of "unanticipated" state funding issues.
Many others saw this train coming and decided to step away from the tracks.
Well written article, Claire, and so was the "Letter to the Editor", published in the Everett Herald, recently. I wonder if Nick & Company sleep well at night?
I wonder why Nick emailed everyone a copy of the Seattle Times Article on Northshore was it to tell us that all district are falling to hard time? I sure didn't get it because we seldom get an email from him.
It warrants mentioning that the Northshore School District has a new Superintendent. Larry Francois was once an employee of the Edmonds School District and worked in Human Resources - back when it was more humane and an actual resource.
Yes, and now it is Hostile Resources!
"Hostile Resources" for sure, certainly NOT HUMAN! As the old saying goes, "what goes around, comes around"! Waiting for this day with anticipation.
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