A new report says Brockton Public Schools could be facing a deficit of up to $25 million this year.
The independent review blames poor management and oversight, saying the district failed to record, track and approve spending using its designated software.
This comes after the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education discovered the school system overspent last year's budget by over $18 million, which the city was forced to cover in order to avoid a takeover by the state.
“What this report makes clear is that, while there are numerous significant and growing costs associated with providing students with a holistic education, we have not done a good enough job to plan for and mitigate those costs, nor have we taken enough care to adhere to budgeting best practices,” Acting Superintendent James Cobbs said in a statement. “We owe it to the Brockton community to do better, and we are steadfast in our commitment to work with our city and state partners to ensure that our budget and spending processes are rebuilt from the ground up in a way that’s sustainable and – most importantly – keeps us moving toward our goal of providing Brockton’s students with the best possible education.”
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan called the report "a major step" toward understanding the root causes of the school district's budget deficit.
“The issues identified in the report are unacceptable," Sullivan said. "The city is taking action – with guidance and assistance from the Commonwealth – to address these issues in the short term and implement safeguards to ensure that nothing like this happens again. Working together, we will stabilize the Brockton Public Schools’ and the City’s finances and ensure that Brockton’s students, teachers, and citizens have the resources they need to succeed and thrive.”
The Brockton school district is expected to exceed the current year's budget by $19-25 million due in part to skyrocketing transportation costs.
“Like with any of the challenges facing our city and our schools, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution,” Cobbs said. “However, this report provides us with critical insight into where we’ve gone wrong and a roadmap for improving our processes. It also affords us the opportunity to identify strategic spending reductions we can make in the short term to avoid a dramatic deficit this fiscal year while ensuring that students do not suffer as a result of these fiscal challenges.”
Brockton schools have also been in the spotlight in recent weeks due to a series of violent incidents at Brockton High School. The fights have prompted calls for safety improvements and even a call for the National Guard to help deal with the situation.
Despite the financial and student issues, Gov. Maura Healey has said she does not think the state should take over the embattled school district.
