A projected $700,000 budget shortfall in a Minnesota school district sparked an official investigation after several financial irregularities were discovered.
The budget deficit results from various factors, such as rising costs, payroll discrepancies, and a series of unpaid bills. Superintendent Jim Mention of the Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian (BOLD) school district first raised the situation last month during a board meeting.
Minnesota School District’s Budget Shortfall
The financial irregularities mentioned also include a series of bills that had not yet been paid. One of these is a $90,000 charge for landscaping services that were finished several years ago.
The superintendent said, “We started to find out about these late last summer when concerns came to light about our former business manager’s handling of money.” Mention did not mention the name of the business manager he was referring to during the board meeting…