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School Lawyer to Review Management Study

Posted on: Friday, 3 February 2006, 18:00 CST

By STEVE PEOPLES Journal Staff Writer

The school board votes against releasing the report - which probes the reasons for recent Portsmouth School Department budget deficits -- for now.

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PORTSMOUTH -- Despite strong opposition from the superintendent, the School Committee has voted not to release a critical management study of the School Department's business office, at least for now.

The committee commissioned the study last fall to analyze conditions in the business office that may have contributed to unforeseen budget deficits exceeding $1.8 million in the last two years. School officials decided in executive session Tuesday night to delay the release of the report pending School Department attorney approval.

It is unclear when the report, which cost local taxpayers $9,350, might be available to the public.

"Because it's mentioning certain individuals, it was determined by the attorney that we couldn't release it. He was going to go through it first and remove portions or rewrite portions so it wouldn't be pointing fingers," said School Committee chairwoman Sylvia Wedge. "The revised report will be released, which will eliminate any personal references."

Rhode Island General Law 38-2 allows public officials to restrict public access to "information in personnel files maintained to hire, evaluate, promote or discipline any employee of a public body." It is unclear if the management study would qualify for such an exemption.

Schools Supt. Susan Lusi said the full report should be released.

"The concern raised was that some of the information might be personally identifiable. Speaking for myself as a superintendent, I feel very strongly that the report should be public. It was paid for with public dollars, and it was commissioned as a result of issues that are of pressing public concern," she said. "I fully understand the committee's decision to request this review, but I do personally support making the report public."

The School Committee hired the Massachusetts' consulting firm, New England School Development Council, to study the inner workings of the school administration's business office last fall. The move was recommended by a subcommittee that examined school deficits in the past two years that totaled more than $1.8 million.

The consulting firm conducted several one-on-one interviews with school administrators and School Committee members, observed working conditions within the central office, and distributed an in-depth survey to various School Department employees.

According to interviews with committee members, the study determined there is a staffing shortage in the business office, and that some duties need to be better distributed -- particularly in regards to Director of Finance and Administration Cynthia Brown, who almost single-handedly runs the department, often working late into the night and weekends.

The 28-page report outlines a series of findings -- some critical of the current system -- and detailed recommendations.

School Committee vice president David Croston said the study should be made public as soon as possible.

"To me, I think it has to be a public document, especially given the fact that we're dealing with a $1.3 million deficit [this year]," he said. "We're trying to rebuild public trust. We have to err on the public's right to know. I respect the state law, I respect our employee's rights, but given the circumstances and the deficits of the past two years, I can't understand how we could not put this in the public domain."

Both The Providence Journal and The Newport Daily News have filed open records requests with the School Department, giving school officials 10 days to release the report or give specific legal rationale for a denial.

When reached yesterday, School Department attorney Richard Updegrove said he had not yet reviewed the study to determine if it could be released.

"I haven't looked at the report. I have no idea whether it has any potential problems," he said. "As soon as I can get to it, I will."

speoples@projo.com / (401) 277-7459

Source: Providence Journal

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