BROCKTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan has released the findings of an independent investigation into the Brockton Public Schools’ overspending in 2023, which led to an $18 million budget shortfall.
The independent law firm looked through documents, emails, text messages, and interviewed dozens of people. The firm’s report revealed that too much money was spent on staff, transportation, and out-of-district tuition, and that it was caused by leaders not properly keeping track of the finances.
“This report was truly eye-opening,” Sullivan said.
The report points out former Superintendent Michael Thomas had a $200 million budget to work with, and that “although the superintendent was the School Department’s CEO, by his own admission, he was ‘not a numbers guy.'”
Investigators found that Thomas leaned on the chief financial officer on all financial matters, but the CFO “…developed a personal friendship with Thomas and often yielded to Thomas’s spending demands with an attitude that he would figure out how to pay for things later.”
The report details that the school committee was inexperienced and didn’t have basic finance skills, and that “…the Mayor, who served as both CEO of the City and Chair of the School Committee, had a hands-off approach to the School Department.”
No criminal wrongdoing was found.
Sullivan said aggressive action will be taken in terms of these findings, but did not explain what those attends would be.
“We will take all necessary steps so we will never, ever, ever again find ourselves in this dire position,” Sullivan said.
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