The state Office of the Inspector General on Wednesday notified Brockton city officials that leadership “failures” led to an $18 million deficit in the city’s public schools during the 2023 fiscal year.
The state office sent city officials a 10-page letter detailing what it said were “a collection of failures to properly plan the BPS budget, monitor spending, and respond to clear warning signs.”
Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro, who signed the letter, told GBH News that evidence showed the budget was not going to be balanced from the beginning – and at least 10 people could have done something to fix problems.
“The circumstances that resulted in the city’s — and its school district’s — overspending by $18 million, it’s unconscionable, it’s highly disturbing, and the answers for how it happened are far from satisfactory,” he said.
According to the 10–page report, the overspending stemmed from payroll, police details, energy usage and out-of-district tuition and transportation.
“I acknowledge that those are real expenses. On the other side of it, they’re the same expenses that every other school district is dealing with, and we don’t have other school districts that have overspent,” he said.
Brockton school and city officials said in a prepared statement that they “appreciated” the report and “will prepare a comprehensive response detailing actions already undertaken and outlining planned improvements.”
“We acknowledge and appreciate the OIG’s thorough work and regard its findings as a valuable opportunity to further strengthen our systems and advance continued progress,” the statement said.
The city also has been looking internally at issues that prompted the budget deficit. Last year, it released a report filed by “independent” investigators that detailed many of the same missteps.
The deficit has prompted concerns among people in the city. Brockton resident Lori Mason told GBH News that she has been unhappy since she heard about it.
“I don’t have any faith that anybody will be held accountable. What would be accountable to me would be, I believe, resigning from their positions immediately and paying back all the money that occurred during the deficit,” she said. “Everything that’s going on is going to come back on the taxpayers and we’re hardly making enough money to survive.”
The Inspector General provided a list of seven recommendations to city officials, including taking part in a state training, ensuring people are comfortable reading and analyzing finances, and creating a culture that encourages members to raise concerns to city and school leadership.
“I certainly hope that this is a wake up call for the city of Brockton and its leadership and that things will change there,” Shapiro said.
