Today’s Advocate article digs into the details of the BOE budget committee meeting.
A Wednesday night committee meeting started with a heated debate about the merits of adding another central office position.
Board member Bruce Kimmel stressed the recent findings in a consultant’s report. The report, from U.K.-based Cambridge Education, stated that while budget documents contain a lot of information on the district spending, some people are not content with the level of transparency in the budget process.
“We’ve got to get out of our cocoon in this issue,” Kimmel said. “We think it’s OK, and the whole world around us doesn’t.”
Superintendent Salvatore Corda has said the consultants relied on perceptions, which may not be reliable.
“It’s not perception,” Kimmel, a New York City school teacher, shouted at one point during the meeting. “These people are doing their jobs.”
In setting a cap for the city and school district’s operating budget Tuesday night, some Common Council members indicated the district would have crafted a tighter budget if it had a finance director.
Board member Greg Burnett, who has opposed hiring a finance director, said he resented that the budget was being held “hostage” over the issue.
“At this point, I feel there is no reason to believe the (district’s) fiscal responsibilities are being compromised,” Burnett said. “Our budget should not be jeopardized by council members who, in my opinion, have not looked at the issue.”
Kimmel and other board members have said they are concerned that Corda is being stretched too thin with his budgetary responsibilities.
“We pay you good money to figure out what’s wrong with the schools,” board member Jack Chiaramonte said. “I don’t believe you have the qualifications . . . as a financial person.”
Corda responded by saying people are mistaken about his role in the budget. While Corda has experience as a school business administrator, he does not get involved in crafting the Norwalk budget’s mechanics, he said.
Corda said his responsibilities include establishing budget objectives based on instructional goals, making sure the budget’s message is clear and presenting the proposal to the Board of Education, the Common Council and the Board of Estimate and Taxation.
“If the thinking is that if we have a finance director, the role of the superintendent is going to change, it’s not,” Corda said.
Yet, nothing about the authorization to transfer funds. Why is that?
As I pointed out yesterday, the big issue here is why Burnett and Corda are so opposed to having a finance director hired. The role of a finance director will directly impact Opdahl by releasing him from from managing so much money. He could maybe, oh concentrate on stuff his qualifications are suited for. The issue here is that Corda and Burnett don’t want a financial scrutiny of the Norwalk Public Schools. They don’t want basic accounting procedures regarding expense forms, and direct reimbursements to take place. The reality is that Opdahl is a convenient excuse to maintain the opaque shield of no detailed information.
Opdahl should be fired. A finance director should be hired and Corda and Burnett should take greater care to concentrate on maxi mixing educational opportunities for Norwalk’s students.
source: Advocate, School board considers study on budget chief, By Lisa Chamoff, February 29 2008
