L'Anse Creuse Public Schools in Metro Detroit is dealing with a $9 million budget deficit. Superintendent Keith Howell said the shortfall is due to the end of COVID-19 relief funds and mistakes in state funding projections. At a school board meeting, Assistant Superintendent Kathy Konon said, "The revenues are gone. However, the expenses remain, and that is so that is the correction we're talking about," as reported by CBS News Detroit.
School board trustee Shane Sellers is calling for a full investigation into the district's finances, citing the need for transparency. "I don’t know how we went from $3 million to a $9 million deficit in six months. I want an unbiased perspective, not from the district," Sellers told WXYZ. Parents have also raised concerns about the lack of transparency.
Parents in Chesterfield have expressed concerns about the school district’s budget deficit, mentioning the possibility of program cuts and staff layoffs. Kerry Bryant, a parent, said at a recent meeting, "This money is riding on their backs, is it not? They're the ones that you work for. We're all parents maybe and teachers and whatnot, but ultimately, it comes down to them and their success." According to CBS News Detroit, Bryant’s comments point to potential impacts of the deficit on the district's 9,400 students.
Superintendent Howell will present a mid-year budget update for L'Anse Creuse Public Schools at a board meeting at the end of March. The district, with 1,400 employees, is under review by local law enforcement for budget discrepancies. Sellers stated, "This budget is only good through June 30, so somehow, we have to come up with something between now and June 30 and then a whole nother new budget next year. My concern is not just this year, it’s next year because this budget is going to carry over to next year." The impact of the financial issues is still unknown, as stated by ClickOnDetroit.
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