August 10, 1997
DURING THE legal debate over whether Baltimore's schools performed miserably because they were inadequately funded, it was shown again and again that mismanagement also played an important role in the failure of many schools.
Examples of academic and fiscal irresponsibility continue to crop up, the latest being a report from Comptroller Joan M. Pratt that shows the school system was grossly overcharged for student bus service provided by private firms. No small item, the system spends $16 million a year for bus service along 350 routes.
An audit by the comptroller of only 52 of those routes indicated that 23 bus contractors had overcharged the city at least $133,000. That total would probably grow if the other 298 bus routes were surveyed.
City Auditor Beverly L. Everson-Jones says the school system wasn't checking to see whether the buses actually followed the routes they described in the bills they submitted for payment. She blamed the problem on the schools' lack of manpower.
Most likely, whatever manpower was necessary to keep track of the buses could have been easily provided with the money the school system ended up wasting because it let that job slide.
But it's a new day. The school system has new leadership. Such costly oversights shouldn't be repeated.
And the school system should vigorously seek reimbursement from any bus contractors who cannot document that they actually provided the amount of service for which they have been paid.
Pub Date: 8/10/97
