Our Tax Dollars
Mismanaged
Administration and staff raises, new loans and bonds acquired, busing companies paid for services unrendered, hundreds of thousands spent on divisive teacher trainings and curriculum and TAXES GO UP YEARLY.
· In 2019 we added $48 million in debt to the balance sheet via a bond issuance increasing our interest-bearing debt by 44%. In September of 2021, our School Board voted unanimously to add up to $72 million in additional debt, more than doubling our amount of bonds payable and representing a potential 20% increase to our debt service (interest) payments.
· Per-pupil spending has increased about $3200 in the last 5 years (total budgeted expenditures divided by total enrollment). Despite that, TESD students are getting:
o Reduction in departmental and building level budgets, resulting in delayed purchase and maintenance of musical instruments, classroom furniture, library books, athletic uniforms, athletic equipment, and school supplies;
o Vendor-provided substitute teachers; and
o Increased maximum class size limit by one student in grades K-8.
· $1.2 million in special education invoices went unpaid in 2017 and were not paid until 2018. TESD’s Business Manager (Art McDonnell) and Superintendent (Richard Gusick) were not open and forthcoming with the details surrounding the error, delaying resolution of the issue at taxpayer expense. The Business Manager and the Superintendent were not held accountable.
· In the midst of the pandemic, the Board passed the 2020-2021 budget that included a 2.6% tax increase.
o The budget included additional compensation for our administrators and business manager (Art McDonnell).
o These payments to administrators added $142K to the District's 2020-21 budget.
o The Board voted unanimously for the administration’s raises and bonuses.
Auditor’s Letter
Letter to Scott Dorsey from auditing firm
addressing accounting inaccuracies.
