DeKalb Schools Forfeit Millions in State Money

This warrants a posting unto itself. I am simply floored. Flabbergasted. Outraged. How on earth can we have such pitiful "leadership" endorsed and continually rubber-stamped by our board of education? How can anyone expect a student to turn in an essay on time - when our school leaders cannot seem to make a 5 year deadline with millions of dollars hanging in the balance?

I just have no words.

From WSB today:

Lynn Jackson, Associate Superintendent for Business Operations for Georgia’s Department of Education told Investigative Reporter Jodie Fleischer the district repeatedly missed deadlines to submit paperwork and failed to follow state guidelines to qualify for the reimbursements.

“I was perplexed by this. Truly, I could not understand why DeKalb County could not comply," said Jackson.

When the DeKalb County School District built McNair High School, the state was planning to contribute $297,010. However, the district missed the deadline to turn in paperwork, thereby forfeiting the money for that project. The same 18-month deadline was also missed for projects at Stone Mountain Middle and Peachtree Middle. 

. . .

Fleischer approached DeKalb County School Board Budget Chairman, Paul Womack, about the forfeited funds for at least nine schools.

"It makes me sick, as it will the rest of the board I'm quite sure," Womack said He said he planned to raise the issue in Executive Session at Monday night’s School Board meeting.

He’s been working to steer the school system through a major budget crunch, during which parents have criticized financial waste and priorities. "I think they would be outraged and rightly so," Womack said.

According to Fleischer, he’s wondering how many more millions of dollars the alleged construction scheme and mismanagement will end up costing.

"I can't comment on whether it's criminal or incompetence, but I'm going to take the latter and say maybe it was a willful disregard," added Womack.

. . .

You said it, Paul. Personally, I think it's criminal - at least to the extent that Pope and Lewis were fearful of the state looking closely at their shenanigans.

For a full listing of the forfeited funds, click here.

Millions more down the tube

The AJC is now reporting, "Sloppy paperwork, missed deadlines cost DeKalb schools millions".

Sloppy paperwork cost DeKalb County schools $25 million dollars last year and almost cost millions more again this year, officials said.

The mistakes caused the state Department of Education to revoke $11 million in construction funds and temporarily withhold another $14 million, according to records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. DeKalb taxpayers ended up paying for the $14 million in construction projects with sales tax dollars, which could have been used for other purposes.

Further, the district’s rocky relationship with the state almost cost the troubled school system another $27 million this year.

“We lost more than $20 million last year because of sloppy paperwork on behalf of the school district,” school board member H. Paul Womack said this week.

Read the rest at the AJC link above.

One more quote first -

The only reason the school system didn’t make the multi-million-dollar mistake again this year was because State Rep. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody) intervened, securing a special extension that ended up bringing the district $27 million in state funding, Womack said.

Thank you Fran.

The Audacity is Astounding!

As if spending a million dollars on computers for the board and administration in the NEW Mountain Industrial Center offices wasn't enough - now this memo was sent out to DCSS employees -

====================

INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM

====================

To: All DeKalb Employees

From: Shannon Williams Assistant Director of Staff and Student Health and Wellness

Through: Mrs. Gloria Talley, Deputy Superintendent, Teaching and Learning

Subject: Wellness Center - Opening

Date: 23 November 2009

DCSS Employee Wellness Center

The Wellness Center is FREE for all employees.

You must present your DCSS employee ID badge upon entering the facility. Please bring a towel and water bottle for your workout.

Opening December 1st

Hours: 3:30 pm - 8:00 pm Monday - Friday

The Wellness Center is equipped with the following:

• 1/2 court basketball

• Weight room

• Cybex select machines

• Free weights

• Cardio room

• 5 treadmills

• 4 elliptical trainers

• 4 stationary bicycles

• Training Equipment

• Medicine balls

• Resistance Bands

• Aerobic steps

• Exercise balls

Although there will be staff member available for basic questions concerning equipment use, we do not have certified trainers to assist with individualized programming at this time.

Free group exercise classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 5:30 and 6:30!

The Wellness Center is located at the following address:

Mountain Industrial Center

1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard

Stone Mountain, GA 30083

(please drive to the back of the building and look for the signs).

If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Williams via First Class

or 6-0142.


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We all know who this facility was built for. Not the teachers of DeKalb County. I would really love to know where they got the money for all the equipment (I'll bet there'll be another furlough day coming up). I would love to see a sign in list each month to see who really is using the equipment. This is very - VERY upsetting to those of us who scratch and bite to get any kind of equipment for STUDENTS in our schools and have witnessed the decrepit old crap they have to use at Cross Keys, Lakeside and others. Or how about the athletes at Avondale who are working out in a trailer - or in the grass outside the back door? Excuse me while I go have a good cry.