--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "dfsavgny" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >
A few year back the board tried to send Dr Lewis and the Board President to England for the same conference. I believe the County stopped it. A new outrage in the Abbotts > Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 02/1/07 > Post Comment > Former Gov. Brendan T. Byrne once quipped that when he dies, > he "would like to be buried in Hudson County so I can remain active > in politics." He should consider getting a job with either the Camden > or Newark school district. Then he could keep collecting a paycheck > long after his demise. > > Audits of spending by four of the state's poorest school districts, > released Tuesday by the state Department of Education, revealed a > disturbing level of what Education Commissioner Lucille E. Davy > termed "opportunities for questionable activity." Auditors found that > Camden paid more than $330,000 to employees who had been dead for > years, even decades. Newark also spent $310,000 in payroll for 28 > dead employees. Who cashed the checks? > > Gov. Corzine should tell Davy to turn over the findings to the U.S. > Attorney's Office. Audits for the state's other 27 Abbott districts > are planned for this spring. Why wait? Davy should send out the > auditors now, and start with Asbury Park, which has the highest per- > pupil costs among them. > > Just as egregious as the wasteful spending were reactions from > officials of the audited districts. Camden said its new administrator > hasn't had enough time to study the report. Judging from the > personnel records, they should check his pulse, too. Six of the > posthumously compensated staffers had termination dates two to 32 > years after they died. Thirty-two years? Can't blame that on direct > deposit. > > Newark objected to auditors calling some of their expenses > questionable. This from a district that spent $1,795 on a jukebox, > shelled out $29,995 for a Jeep Grand Cherokee with leather interior > and navigation screen for the superintendent, and paid salaries to 28 > dead people. > > Jersey City had $558,000 in questionable spending, including $2,385 > for an administrator to attend the Oxford Roundtable in England. City > officials blamed auditors for not interacting with school personnel > before issuing the criticism. Sorry, but listening to spin during an > audit doesn't make it more effective. > > David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center that > has fought for more funding for these districts, called for a review > of the state education department. Isn't that shooting the messenger? > > Davy said each district will be asked to develop a plan to correct > deficiencies. That's not enough. New Jersey taxpayers have shoveled > billions of dollars into those districts. Administrators and > employees responsible for any dollar spent on non-educational items > should be held accountable publicly for their misuse of public > money. > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/