By allowing the overspending to go unchecked, Cook said, the board violated several of its own policies. For example, one policy says the board must ensure adequate funds are reserved for the operating budget. Another says budgets require “the critical analysis of every member of the board prior to approval.”
“We fully acknowledge and accept responsibility for the lack of appropriate checks and balances that may have prevented this serious situation,” Cook wrote. “The board is accountable for the district’s fiscal health and will be making changes to improve the policy and procedures needed to ensure we never face this situation again.”
Cook was first notified about the problem on July 19. A final report was presented to the board on Aug. 12.
But by that point, the board had already unanimously approved a preliminary $58.5 million budget for the 2024-25 school year. That budget paints an inaccurate “balanced” financial picture for the district. Cook said the board was unaware of any financial problems at the time of the June 12 vote.