Brockton Public Schools is in dire financial straits, staring down a projected deficit of up to $25 million, according to a recent report by Open Architects, an auditing firm. The audit, which highlighted a series of budget missteps and insufficient fiscal oversight, was unleashed on the same day the district's Superintendent was placed on paid leave by the school committee.
The fiscal year 2023 has been particularly harsh for Brockton's coffers, with the school district grappling with an $18.3 million shortfall and pooling the lion's share of its budget, nearly $174 million, into a so-called rainy day fund without proper oversight, the audit revealed, as obtained by Boston 25 News. In addition, the district is on track to more than double the budgeted $11.2 million for transportation costs in 2024, already having spent 95% of the allocated budget as of January 31.
Special education services also fell victim to poor budgeting, with a deficit caused by out-of-district placement tuition costs amounting to nearly $3 million, and almost $1 million for over 58,000 hours of unmet service needs for students. Employee benefits, such as health insurance stipends to offset premium increases and buying back unused sick and vacation days, contributed significantly to the deficit, costing the district over $1.5 million.
Acting Superintendent James Cobbs admitted to shortcomings in planning and budget adherence, stating, "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," in a statement obtained by Boston 25 News.
The Boston Globe added that the city will require additional funds to balance the fiscal year 2024 budget, as projections show a shortfall of $7 million to $19 million. Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan expressed his disappointment with the identified issues and emphasized the city's commitment to remedying the situation, explaining, "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."
Looking ahead, the audit suggested that the school district's financial health is at risk, with the district likely to face a $19-25 million deficit despite $15 million in one-time funding sources. Meanwhile, the state's Executive Office of Education confirmed ongoing discussions with Brockton school and city officials regarding their next steps.
