Broward School’s Fuzzy Math: Spending $9 Million To Save $1.6 Million!
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Fuzzy math is way too frequent in the Broward County school system like this example:
To save $1.6 million annually, the staff suggests spending roughly $9 million.
“It can’t be $9 million. That’s absurd,” Chair Laurie Rich Levinson said.
First the good news.
Board members agreed this week to move employees out of various leased office space. This includes moving 500 employees out of the Sawgrass Technology Center for an annual savings of $1.645 million.
The saving is close to $2 million-a-year.
Now the bad news.
When member Donna Korn pulled out her calculator, she was surprised: The staff wanted to spend $9 million to save $1.645 million!
The cost was for relocating employees and reconfiguring office space in existing buildings for them.
The staff didn’t say exactly how the money was being spent. Maybe limo rides to the new offices, which would be outfitted with gold-plated bathroom fixtures.
Korn said the $109-a-square foot relocation costs appeared waaay out of line to her.
She should know. She looks at such figures all the time at her real job – commercial real estate agent.
Other member blanched when Korn pointed out the expense.
When asked about how they developed the figures, the school’s property staff did what they do best: hummed and hawed.
Pushed into a corner, they assured members that these were initial figures and said that they would return with more solid estimates in a month.
Taxpayers should congratulate Korn. Former School Board members rarely challenged the phony figures and padded budget spewing from the bureaucracy.
This is what Superintendent Robert Runcie faces as he tries to impose fiscal discipline on the out-of-control staff he inherited.
Runcie and the School Board can’t run the system if they don’t have the facts. Real facts.
The school apparatchiks need to learn that sham spread sheets and pretend projections are over.
If they can’t learn, Runcie shouldn’t move them to new offices. He should move them out the door.
January 9th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Donna Korn is the best thing to ever happen to the SBBC, regardless of her party affiliation. Kudos Donna!
January 9th, 2013 at 5:27 pm
It shouldn’t cost anything to move them. They probably all have wireless computers. (laptops can be moved by the employees) You can move the desks and chairs from one spot to another, or get more from B-Stock. The phones and file cabinets can be moved. What else do they need? The only cost would be for the movers and maybe a few trucks, but I bet the system already has both. Yes, workers might have to hustle a little to get the move done in a timely manner. But come on, this is a cheap fix and the staff and school board need to do their “homework” and check their figures to make sure the public isn’t scammed .
January 9th, 2013 at 5:31 pm
I agree Donna Korn is a true professional who knows numbers. Kudos to Donna once again. I am proud of her.
January 9th, 2013 at 6:19 pm
Runcie should give his staff some remedial education. Written on a pink slip.
January 9th, 2013 at 6:23 pm
Even if those numbers are accurate, that’s an 18.3% annual return on a $9 million investment. The $9 million would be fully repaid in 5.47 years (not bad!) and immediately after that it becomes a cool $1,645,000 in savings per year – every year!
That’s already a good deal for the taxpayer, and if the $9 million figure can be reduced further, that just makes it an even better deal!
January 9th, 2013 at 6:51 pm
Donna Korn is not only smart. SHE’S HOT.
January 9th, 2013 at 6:57 pm
Love the new Board… Just one member must go ASAP…
January 9th, 2013 at 9:19 pm
I don’t care that she is a realtor, property manager or leasing agent, the new space should be vanilla box, not Taj Mahal. With financial oversight like this, they think voters will approve a $500 Million Dollar Bond? GFL.