When 97% of a program's budget goes to the boardroom and only 3% reaches the students, it isn't a student program—it’s administrative bloat. It's time to open the books.
As an accountant, I know that if you want to understand a district's true priorities, you don't read their PR emails—you read their accounting ledger.
The current Board claims they are deeply invested in "Access & Inclusion" for our students. Officially, they report this department's budget at a modest $78,954.
But when you dig into the actual line items, you discover a budget shell game. By "parking" the executive salaries, retirement benefits, and massive personal allowances in different, obscure accounting codes (Code 000001), the true cost is hidden from the public.
We did the math. The true cost of this administrative department isn't $78,000. It is nearly half a million dollars.
Where does that half a million dollars actually go?
Spent entirely on central office salaries, executive perks, consultants, and travel.
The tiny fraction that actually reaches students for direct supplies and activities.
What could $452,415 buy if we prioritized students instead of administrative framework?
Instead of hoarding half a million dollars at the district office for theoretical frameworks, we could distribute those funds directly to the building level. That equals nearly $24,000 in additional, immediate funding for every single one of Park Hill's 19 schools.
True inclusion means removing financial barriers. We could use these funds to completely eliminate pay-to-play sports fees and extracurricular costs so no child ever has to sit on the sidelines.
Stop paying outside consulting firms to tell our teachers how to interact. Trust our educators, and give them that money directly to buy books, supplies, and tools that improve the daily classroom experience.