And if it were a movie, it'd probably get an NC-17. But I will run some pictures with this post -- pictures of the parish's "flagship" school, Baton Rouge Magnet High.That ought to be comment enough.
FOR YOU FOLKS down in Baton Rouge, you poor souls who haven't fled the Gret Stet . . . yet . . . here is your government at work, as reported by Charles Lussier of The Advocate:
The East Baton Rouge Parish school system is still reaping the benefits of the post-hurricane economy and in the process amassing one of its biggest surpluses ever, according to its annual audit released Wednesday.
The school system finished fiscal 2006-07, which ended June 30, with $66.1 million in undesignated money left in the bank. That’s $8.6 million more than it had left over the previous fiscal year.New revenue grew by 2.3 percent last year, barely outpacing spending, which grew by 2.1 percent for the same period.
The annual audit was conducted by the firm Postlethwaite & Netterville and was presented Wednesday to the School Board’s Finance Committee.
The auditors gave an unqualified high opinion, finding no material weaknesses in the system’s internal controls. They gave special credit to the finance staff, which, year after year, wins awards for the quality of its accounting work.
Mike Schexnayder, a partner in the firm, said the big surplus, or fund balance, is especially good news.He noted the surplus equals 20 percent of the system’s general operating expenses. Just four years ago, the system had only the equivalent of 5 percent in reserve. The state Department of Education recommends that the school district keep the equivalent of 10 percent in reserve.
Later in the meeting, the committee recommended immediately dipping into the surplus to finance a midyear, across-the-board pay raise for all employees.
The higher surplus, however, makes the parish system a bigger target for lawyers from the new Central school district, which began operating July 1. Central claims it deserves 5 percent of the parish’s surplus, but State District Judge Wilson Fields rejected that argument last month. The case is on appeal.
The conclusion of the audit means the lawyers will have precise numbers to argue about rather than projections, and the actual numbers are much larger than those projections.
UPDATE: For those of you new to the Baton Rouge High Story, here are some links to the full ugliness of what the East Baton Rouge Parish school system hath wrought:Home is where the heartbreak is
More scenes from 'America's next great city'
Disbelief in Omaha, or No Frame of Reference
When we let our kids' schools deteriorate into dumps, is it a human-rights violation?
3 comments:
It doesn't end with business office employees rewarding themselves with pay increases while the education system continues to fall (oh and by the way guess who gets to select the auditors...the business office), but look at employee benefit plans and what they will cost in the future. Also look at "retired" employees coming back or maybe never really leaving the payroll...and relatives of business office employees on the payroll. Let the good time roll, right!? And again, who would report such...the auditors, yeah the same one hired by the office. One more thing...look at what the auditors are paid...I would give a good audit too to be able to come back to that trough another year. And while the wonderful education system continues to fall... :-(
Thank you for this great post. Though citizens need to call the government out on its' flaws, don't forget about all the positive stuff LA has to offer!
Charlotte Placide is an idiot. She wants to raise taxes to fix the schools.
A friend of mine teaches at the new Woodlawn Middle School and has 40 students in her class.
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