Indiana

Don?t Annoy Them With Details

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

If you are a taxpayer in the Indianapolis Public School system, your jaw should be dropping to the floor about now.  IPS is preparing for its hearing on the budget and at least two board members apparently do care about the details.

I obtained a copy of some e-mail correspondence between the several board members regarding whether the budget, which I am told is more than 880 pages long, will be available prior to the upcoming budget hearing.

Here is what IPS Commissioner Diane Arnold had to say about getting a detailed copy of the budget.

I do not require a copy of the entire budget.   I have neither the time or desire to wade through thousands of pages of information.  I am interest[ed] in basic categories i.e. staffing, benefits, supplies, etc and classroom expenses versus administration and what changes are proposed for this budget. I believe that we have received most of that information so I am fin[e] with what I have already received.  I will ask questions if I have any in the next week or so.

This was the response from Commissioner Marianna Zaphiriou…

I agree with Diane. I do not want or need nearly a thousand pages on a jump drive or whatever!!!!! We have and will receive enough information!

At the risk of sounding sarcastic, this is the type of inquisitive thinking that is partially responsible for the state of Indiana getting ready to take over some IPS schools.

One of the main jobs of any elected official is to review the finances of the body that it serves and make sure that everything is above board.  I realize 800+ pages can be a bit much but this is what they get paid for.   If  doing a detailed budget review is too much trouble for Commissioners Zaphiriou and Arnold then maybe they should find new positions to hold somewhere else.

By the way,  I do plan to drop off a open records request to the school district this morning and request an electronic copy of the budget, which I will post for you to read it.  Because if members of the IPS school board aren’t willing to do their jobs, somebody else should.  And who knows, maybe someone with skills in organizational management will.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on August 16, 2010 (boomark / email).