DeKalb school board member Nancy Jester says she was “publicly misled” by school administrators when she brought up issues with the school system’s budget.
AdvancED, the umbrella group that includes the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, announced during a Dec. 17 press conference that the district is on accredited probation and has a year to make crucial reforms.
Among grievances in its report, AdvancED said board mismanagement of finances means the schools would have to end the school year early in the event of an unforeseen catastrophe that required the system to spend more money.
Jester said she worries that AdvancED’s suggestion for improved team governance would prevent her or other whistleblowers from bringing issues to light.
“I am the board member who identified and publically discussed the financial issues that were cited in this report. For almost two years, I have publically inquired during the presentation of the monthly financial report about the discrepancies that I uncovered….” Jester wrote on her blog on Dec. 26.
“I was publically misled by administration officials who stated at board meetings that our budgeting issues with electricity (one of the many areas I cited as problematic) were due to (1) unseasonably hot/cold summers/winters and (2) increases in electricity rates. These statements were demonstrably false.”
To see Jester’s full statement, go to: http://whatsupwiththat.nancyjester.com/2012/12/26/my-thoughts-on-the-advanced-sacs-report/