MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK

Editorials

Discussion

July 6, 2008

Pro consolidation

Members of every school board in the area should take note of a recent story coming out of Greasy Schools.

The state Auditor and Inspector’s Office reported late last month that the former superintendent of the K-8 district, Ronnie Denny, was overpaid more than $49,000 from 2005 through 2007. In the same time period, four Greasy school employees were overpaid $100,000.

The audit has been turned over to the State Department of Education and the Adair County District Attorney’s Office.

This area has been hearing about overpayments, financial finagling and embezzlement much too often. Lost City Schools has been closed due to financial irresponsibility, and the former superintendent of Marble City Schools is accused of taking as much as $1 million from that district.

School board members don’t take care of the day-to-day operations of their districts, but they do approve budgets and financial reports. They should take the time to review the things they approve.

No school district has $150,000 that it can afford to lose, and whoever at Greasy Schools made that mistake — or did it intentionally — must be held accountable.

Oklahomans have resisted district consolidation because they say they want local control of their schools.

However, we don’t need this type of local control — and it’s a good reason to support consolidation.

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