Keys government needs a good scrubbing. There’s no doubt about that. What’s happening at the school district right now is incredibly disheartening.
Even so, there are School Board members and Audit and Finance Committee members who are expressing strong disapproval and demanding answers. You might think, “Well, duh, isn’t that their job?” It is. What’s nice is that they are actually doing it. That, believe it or not, is the silver lining here. Baby steps, people, baby steps.
Contrast this attitude with that of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The BOCC has overlooked, rewarded, and even participated in, some very sketchy behavior on the part of their chief executive. See here and here. It’s no wonder the wastewater projects are in the state they’re in.
The Cudjoe Regional project is $43 million over budget. There’s a $100 million funding difference damaging a major revenue generating area. In the minds of the BOCC, these results are exactly what they’re after – worthy of an A-. The county is an organization that doesn’t even know what positive results might look like. The BOCC celebrates failure.
For school district officials to be so vocal in their disapproval is a positive sign. They’re moving to line up an investigator if needed. Some were openly critical of the superintendent for failing to disclose the matter not only to them but to the state attorney’s office. Even the possibility of termination is on the table. So far, they seem to be taking this very seriously. The school board recognizes failure.
The coverage on this latest school district scandal has been really excellent, too. That’s a major factor. Some board members wouldn’t even have known about the situation if it hadn’t been picked up by the press.
KeysNet, in particular, has done an outstanding job with the story. And the Blue Paper is all over it as usual. Here’s a collection of links.
Acevedo scandal-era investigator may return to look into missing HOB money
Day-care director’s contract not renewed
Schools superintendent accepts some blame in how missing-money issue is handled
We’ve seen this School District story before
State auditing Keys school finances with $20,000 unaccounted for
An Open Letter to Superintendent Porter / Confusion vs. Contradiction
Superintendent Releases Finance Department’s Review of Missing $20,000 in HOB Daycare Program Funds
Superintendent Porter Explains His Handling of Unaccounted for $20,000 in HOB Daycare Program Funds
The story of the school district is the story of an organization fighting for positive change. I don’t know where all this is going to lead, but I’ll be following with interest.
The Real Poop 
Seems to me that the lunatic spending all her time yapping her trap like she understands how every function of every type of Government should work, would be better served served spending her time looking for a job. Good luck with that though.
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