Consultant Hired To Review How East Windsor School System Spends Budget

Superintendent of Schools Theresa Kane has hired a financial consultant company to review East Windsor Public Schools’ budget development and management practices.

Kane said The Management Solution will interview school district employees, school board members and town officials about how the school system’s finances work. The cost of the review is $6,500, which comes from federal stimulus money which can be used on one-time expense.

The cost is worth it to find out how the school system spends its $18 million budget and if there are any inefficiencies that can be corrected, Kane, who took the reins of the school system in July, said.

Board Chairman John Pica-Sneeden said he thinks the review is a good idea to look into how officials are spending the money and how superintendents in the past have spent funds.

“I personally think it’s going to help us spend the money more wisely, the little money we get more wisely,” Pica-Sneeden said. “I just think this was a wise idea.

Board Member Judith Rajala said she supports doing the review but would have liked to have heard about it ahead of time. The board members are the ones who will be stopped in the community and asked about it, she said.

Kane said hiring the consultant was under her duties of the day to day running of the schools and she informed Pica-Sneeden about it.

Board Member Catherine Simonelli said over time people get set in their ways of doing things and this review may show them there is another path to take in some decisions.

“There’s a lot to look at here,” Simonelli said. “I think this is great and an opportune time to do it.”

Board Member Terri Willingham said because of the transiency of superintendents in the past, there have six or seven people who handled the budget for the school system and this may help straighten that out.