Can you believe the Jefferson County School District?

First, the school district's technology department overspends its budget two years ago by $29 million. That's when the district decided that it needed a citizen panel to act as a watchdog over district spending.

Now, it turns out, the technology department overspent its budget for the next two years, too, to the tune of $6 million. And the citizen financial oversight committee didn't catch it. Nobody did, it appears, but some Jeffco employees knew it was happening.

To make matters worse, the first meeting of the citizen's panel was closed to the public and the media was asked to leave. Panel member Hereford Percy told a Rocky Mountain News reporter, "We don't feel comfortable at this point that we can have an open and frank conversation on this issue because we're not completely up to speed on it." How can you have an "open" conversation when you don't allow the people who are funding the district to attend?

We pay for the school district. We approved a mill levy increase to give the district extra funds and yet we're the first ones cut out of the loop. Why?

Maybe the district should appoint another oversight committee to watch the financial oversight committee. And someone give them a copy of the state's open meeting law.

Read the Rocky Mountain News Editorial: Who's Watching Jeffco?
posted by Pinecamguy at 8:48 AM