The new school year started in August and where has our School Board Chair been?  How has our School Board Vice Chair demonstrated leadership?  What has been happening with the finances?  How has the County been doing in managing the school finances?  Inquiring minds want and need to know!!!

Question 1 – Where has the School Board Chair been?  July 26 special meeting, August 11 regular meeting, and September 8 regular meeting all saw the School Board Chair attend virtually.  School Board policy BDD, adopted December 2024, clarifies how to manage remote participation so there is no problem with such participation, however, clear and active leadership is still needed to address numerous school issues so where is the Chair?  

Question 2 – How has the Vice Chair demonstrated leadership?  Viewers of School Board videos can see for themselves.  (September Regular Meeting video here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpEgX9tKTfQ)  The Vice-Chair has yet to ask questions related to school finances this year (she hasn’t inquired on student performance either but that is a matter for another post).  She has critiqued the school finance contractor for having six people working to fix the finances but not having them done in less than two months but she has not asked a single question regarding revenues, expenses or reports.  At least Dr. Curran is asking some good questions but the only real concern the Vice Chair appears to have on the finances were expressed this summer and those concerns were only related to two employees.   More on her “leadership” shortly.

Question 3 – What has been happening with the finances? – According to reports at both the School Board meetings and the County Board of Supervisor meetings, the new Superintendent has set some very explicit expectations regarding financial management.  Both the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent have been able to provide information to the Board of Supervisors and answer questions when asked, a positive improvement from prior leadership.  The lack of revenue and expense reports for July, August, and September school board meetings is troubling.  At least one School Board member raised this issue in the September meeting and the reports were provided for the Board of Supervisors meeting two days later.  NCSBWatch is reviewing the reports to see what trends are appearing, particularly as the issue of school finances and “surprise” bills came up at the September 11, 2025 Board of Supervisor meeting.

Question 4  – How has the County been doing in managing school finances?  Well……not so good as far as we can see.  The recently hired County Finance Director was not at either the September School Board meeting or the Board of Supervisors meeting and the position is now advertised again, closing on September 19, 2025.  The County did post very detailed revenue and expense reports for County finances for the September 11, 2025 meeting so those will be analyzed too.

More analysis on finances and school board leadership coming!