(PatriotNews.net) – A Kentucky school district flushed $3 million down the drain on a construction project they never even started. You won’t believe what happened next.
At a Glance
- Nelson County School District wasted $3 million on a canceled construction project
- The “Community Campuses” plan was approved in 2021 but scrapped in 2023
- District incurred over $600,000 in legal fees related to the botched project
- Superintendent fired and reinstated amid financial mismanagement
- District now in a state-mandated “management improvement program”
A Monumental Waste of Taxpayer Dollars
In a stunning display of fiscal irresponsibility, the Nelson County School District in Kentucky has managed to burn through $3 million on a construction project that never even broke ground. The district’s grand plan, dubbed “Community Campuses,” aimed to consolidate middle and high schools into sprawling complexes for grades 6-12. But in a plot twist that would make even the most inept bureaucrats blush, they pulled the plug on the whole thing after dumping millions into the abyss.
The “Community Campuses” plan, approved with great fanfare in December 2021, was unceremoniously canceled in 2023. But not before the district had shelled out $3 million on… well, essentially nothing. This includes a $27,500 settlement to Trademark Excavating for work they never got to do and payments to architects for blueprints that will now collect dust. It’s like paying for a five-course meal and then deciding to eat at McDonald’s instead.
"Some of our schools have asbestos and mold issues."
Some superintendents in Virginia are upset after @GovernorVA vetoed two bills that would have allowed localities to ask voters to approve a 1% sales tax increase to fund school construction.
My story is in the post below.
— Tyler Englander (@TylerEnglander) April 10, 2024
The Legal Quagmire
As if flushing $3 million down the toilet wasn’t enough, the district then proceeded to rack up an additional $614,409 in attorney fees. Most of this was spent fighting lawsuits related to their own boneheaded decision. It’s like watching someone set fire to a pile of cash, then hiring a team of lawyers to argue that the fire had the right to burn the money.
But wait, it gets better. The district could have received $30 million in “urgent needs” funding if they had actually completed the project. So not only did they waste $3 million, but they also missed out on ten times that amount. It’s like turning down a winning lottery ticket because you’re too busy setting your wallet on fire.
Leadership in Chaos
In the midst of this financial dumpster fire, Superintendent Wes Bradley was fired. But in a twist that would make even the most convoluted soap opera writers jealous, he was then reinstated by the Kentucky Board of Education.
Apparently, there wasn’t enough “competent and relevant evidence” to keep him out. One has to wonder what the board considers incompetent if wasting $3 million doesn’t cut it. Now, the district is participating in a state-mandated “management improvement program.” It’s like sending a pyromaniac to a match-making class and hoping for the best. Meanwhile, Superintendent Bradley’s salary sits at a modest $70,596, with 42 other school employees earning more. Because nothing says “fiscal responsibility” like overpaying for underperformance.
Copyright 2024, PatriotNews.net
