BROCKTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Brockton Public Schools Superintendent Michael Thomas has resigned his position after facing scrutiny over his role in the district’s ongoing budget crisis.
The Brockton Public Schools announced Thomas’ resignation in a statement Friday, just three days after a 16-page external audit highlighted a series of issues that led to an $18 million budget deficit in the 2023 Fiscal Year.
“Today marks a significant next step in turning the page on an extremely difficult chapter for Brockton’s schools and the Brockton community,” said School Committee Vice Chair Tony Rodrigues in a statement.
News of the 2023 shortfall surfaced in September of last year, just days before students were scheduled to return to classes after their summer break.
Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan announced the deficit following a lengthy closed-door meeting with the Brockton School Committee.
One day later, the school committee met in open session and voted to hire an independent investigator to determine what went wrong.
While the investigation got underway, a Brockton Public Schools spokesperson confirmed Thomas had recently begun an extended medical leave.
Thomas did not disclose the reason for his medical leave but told 7NEWS he welcomed the investigation.
Roughly six months later, after his medal leave ended, district leaders opted to place Thomas on paid administrative leave rather than let him return to his role.
While Brockton looked to chart a path through its financial struggles, consultant firm RSM tackled the task of reviewing the 2023 budget.
RSM released its long-awaited audit report on Tuesday. Among findings, the firm said Brockton spent too much money on school staff, transportation, and out of district tuition. RSM blamed the spending on leaders not properly keeping track of finances.
Among leaders, RSM said Thomas admitted he was “not a numbers guy,” saying he leaned on on the Brockton Public Schools CFO who, in turn, often yielded to Thomas’ requests.
Prior to his resignation, Thomas had been Brockton’s superintendent of schools since 2019. His current contract was scheduled to expire at the end of the 2026-2027 school year.
In his statement Friday, Rodrigues said “A common theme in each of the reviews of the Fiscal Year 2023 deficit was that decisions were made with ‘the best interest of students,’ in mind.”
“Ultimately, what’s best for students is a stable, well-run, and fiscally responsible school district that can provide a sustainable, high-quality education to Brockton’s children,” Rodrigues said. “As we work to rebuild and strengthen the foundation of our partnership with the City of Brockton, I am hopeful that those in the city government who were similarly identified as active contributors to this crisis will soon take accountability for their roles in it as well.”
Current Brockton Interim Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani said work is underway to reinvent Brockton’s school budget process “while continuing to return the focus to students’ education and achievement.”
“All of this work is essential to our goal of earning back the trust of the City of Champions,” Tahiliani said.
Tahiliani is the second interim superintendent to helm the Brockton Public Schools since Thomas went on medical leave. Though Thomas is now out of the district, officials did not immediately outline a timeline to choose a new permeant superintendent.
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