Whitman Hanson School District Grapples with Financial Reporting Challenges
Superintendent assures district is 'okay financially' despite challenges in providing up-to-date budget information
HANSON - December 11 - The Whitman Hanson Regional School Committee meeting on Dec. 11, 2024, revealed ongoing challenges in the district's financial reporting systems, particularly in the manual input of payroll data. Superintendent Jeff Szymaniak addressed the committee's concerns about timely and accurate financial information.
"I can only give you what I have tangible, and we only meet once a month and in public." Szymaniak said, acknowledging the stress of the situation. “I'll try to get you these numbers as I can. Again, as I walk through some of the other pieces that we're still working with, and I talked about the FY24 closure, we're still finishing up the FY22 audit, which has taken, I can't even tell you the hundreds of man hours of paper that has gone into the FY22 audit.” He added "We're rowing a boat with half an oar."
The district is currently operating without a complete business office staff, with two vacant positions. This has led to delays in financial reporting and the manual input of payroll data into the district's accounting system.
"Every time there's a payroll, all the payroll folks have to be inputted to Munis, or into the line items manually," Szymaniak explained. "So there's no cross between Harpers and Munis in the line items that they're supposed to be."
This manual process has resulted in incomplete quarterly financial reports, with expenses only reported through August despite the meeting taking place in December.
Committee members expressed concern about their ability to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities without current financial information. Member Dawn Byers referenced the financial crisis in Brockton, emphasizing the importance of the committee's oversight role.
"I want to make sure we're asking these questions so nobody comes back and says, this committee didn't ask," Byers said.
Szymaniak assured the committee that the district is financially stable but acknowledged the need for improved reporting processes. He committed to expediting the manual data entry and providing updated financial information as soon as possible.
"If I feel that we need to have a freeze in the budget, I will tell you folks that we need to have a freeze," Szymaniak said, reiterating his commitment to transparency and fiscal responsibility.
The meeting also highlighted the district's use of evidence-based curriculum and digital learning tools. Assistant Superintendents George Ferro and Nikki Semas-Schneeweis presented on the implementation of i-Ready, a diagnostic and adaptive learning tool used in grades K-8.
"What we can do now in education is to say that I can say that in the same class of people here, there's five different learning styles," Ferro said. "And I can actually use data and technology to help instruct my class."
The district uses i-Ready for both diagnostics and supplemental instruction, with students spending about 18 minutes per day on the platform. Dr. Semas-Schneeweis emphasized that i-Ready is just one tool in the district's approach to education.
"Assessment isn't evaluative, it's informative," Semas-Schneeweis said. "That is our motto, that is what we always say."
Some committee members raised concerns about the reliance on digital tools, particularly for younger students. Rosemary Connolly asked about accommodations for students who may not interface well with the technology.
Szymaniak and the presenters stressed that i-Ready is used in conjunction with traditional teaching methods and that teachers have the flexibility to adapt instruction based on individual student needs.
The committee also discussed ongoing capital projects, including the construction of a new Whitman Middle School set to begin in March or April 2025. The project is currently under budget and on track for a soft opening in February 2027.
In other business, the committee approved past due invoices totaling $32,126.31 for the 2024 fiscal year and a field trip for the DECA club to attend a district conference in Quincy.
The meeting concluded with the committee voting to enter executive session to discuss contract negotiations and potential litigation.