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$2 million mix-up?

By Antonio D. French

Filed Monday, June 12 at 8:15 PM

So how does a bill for $2 million get delivered to St. Louis Public Schools in December 2005, but not come to the attention of the superintendent or the chief financial officer until last Monday?

"The district is in the process of investigating this matter. At this time we are unable to release any information," answered Johnny Little, the district's public information director.

On Tuesday, June 6, Superintendent Creg Williams informed the school board that next year's budget is currently $4 million over budget -- double what was thought just a few days before. Williams said the reason was that a bill from the district's Pension Board just landed on his desk Monday, after apparently being recieved by someone in SLPS six months before.

Little declined to say whether this situation is at all related to the sudden resignation this week of the district's treasurer, Enos Moss.

Developing...

1 Comments:

Anonymous said...

These comments were orginally posted on the Pub Def Weekly web site

Anonymous said...
What, no comments from all you Williams defenders?

6/11/2006 2:41 PM

Anonymous said...
4 billion short after an election...hmmm

Treasurer resigns before an election… hmmm

I think I here "reformers" in the air!

6/12/2006 9:58 AM

Anonymous said...
No comments either from the new majority backers.

6/12/2006 11:07 AM

Anonymous said...
What's their to defend? Treasures are always leaving before some serious dirt hits the fan. What's being a Williams defender have to do with anything? Williams is not the Chief Financial Officer nor should we forget how messy the SLPS has been long before Williams stepped foot in the great city of St. Louis.

6/12/2006 12:47 PM

Anonymous said...
Ok here is a comment to support Williams. You Unionites have to remember that Williams inherited many problems from previous administrations and school boards. Up until now all of the skeletons continued to be thrown into a closet and the door has continued to be closed. Both sides of this educational fence have wasted money on smear campaigns instead of reaching some common ground to work on the problems at hand. Administration (before Williams) came up with these so-called teaching curriculums because a teacher with a Master’s degree cannot teach (and yes in some cases this is true). Many of the Union members refused to use “Kaplan” or “Step Up to Writing” because it was too hard and too fast. For who was it to hard, the students or the teachers. Now the door to the closet cannot be closed anymore because of all of the “favors, job protection, getting a job, nepotism, money disappearing under tables, and so on” are now starting to spill out into the hallway. No longer can this district continue to fight amongst itself. Not to mention administrators and coaches who continue to waste money to pay friends, high price consulting firms extraordinary fees for small jobs that we have people within the district very capable of doing (as long as they can get the materials to properly finish or do the job). When will both sides sit down with realistic expectations and goals? We can’t suspend every student for chewing gum while we cannot have a curriculum that is geared toward private college prep school in the Hamptons. So which side is truly wasting money?

6/14/2006 10:55 AM

Sunday, June 18, 2006 12:34:02 AM