Here is what was known on June 22, 2023 when the Board of Supervisors voted on the School Board Budget:

Last year’s audit identified issues with the processes used by the School Board and noted that some of the weaknesses potentially could materially effect financial statements

Last year’s audit identified significant amounts of money that were unspent in the prior year

The School Board has put processes in place to address the weaknesses noted in the audit but there has been no other oversight to insure their adequacy 

The School Board budget submission to the Board of Supervisors was late and initially did not contain the state required cost per student.  In fact, it took the SB two weeks to share the information with a citizen who pointed out the omission and asked for a copy of the information.

The School Board was, on the night of the final vote, more than six months behind reconciling their books with the county – no expense reports had been published in that time frame which means that Mr. Jett, Mr. Tomlin and Mr. Long, along with the other Supervisors and the County Administrator, the School Board itself and the citizens of this county had no idea what had actually been spent for the prior six months, where the money had been spent and whether or not they reconciled with the County Treasurer’s books.

In the meetings leading up to the final vote meeting, Ms. Boothe and Dr. Wargo both earnestly, and I believe honestly, said that there were issues with account codes in the School Board system, and noted the finance staff lack of knowledge and the prior Finance Administrator as the reasons.  Ms. Boothe and Dr. Wargo also both noted that they were working diligently to ‘get it right’ for which I applaud them. 

In fact, at one of those meetings, Dr. Wargo stated that the numbers “kinda sorta” reconciled.  “Kinda sorta” in any financial reporting is a huge red flag.  The account codes were wrong and have been for some time – at least two years and possibly longer.  The School Board staff who worked with the codes were thrown under the bus even though their training is incumbent on the the Finance Administrator.  And where the books only ‘kinda sorta’ reconciled was still undetermined. 

School Board submissions of Federal and State grants had been late for the entire prior year. County monies that were used to fund the projects have not been fully reimbursed.

Knowing all of this (and more) Mr. Jett, Mr. Tomlin and Mr. Long all inexplicably voted to remove quarterly appropriations meetings with the School Board and by doing so, abdicated their roles as School Board budget overseers on behalf of county residents.  Now, despite ongoing and repeated calls for more School Board spending oversight, despite the weaknesses in the current system, the self admitted chronic inability to reconcile to the County Treasurer’s reports, and the lack of transparency, the School Board gained full appropriations access with zero accountability.

Mr. Tomlin has decided not to run for office again.  Whether or not Mr. Jett and Mr. Long will choose to run for office again is unknown.  But regardless, the citizens of the county will not forget their irresponsibility and betrayal.

There is no other recourse but to demand, yet again, a full audit of the School Board books while at the same time, actively pursuing alternative, fiscally responsible candidates.