High-paid administrators in Broward County schools were given large bonuses from a 2022 referendum that was made to look like it would boost teacher pay. Now, an audit by the school district found that school board members and the public weren't given key information about the referendum.
The audit, conducted by the office of Chief Auditor Dave Rhodes, examined referendum money dating back years. Language in a 2018 referendum outlined that the money would be only for teacher pay, safety, security and mental health.
When it was renewed with a boost in 2022, the referendum said money would go to teachers and staff. But according to the audit, the wording failed to specify which non-teaching staff would see the benefits.
Board members voted in January to stop the payments of up to $14,000. School board member Allen Zeman told WLRN he's pushing the rest of the board to seek reimbursements from administrators who weren't meant to receive the money.
This comes as the district continues to navigate recent financial scandals — suddenly backing out of an office-space lease worth nearly $3 million that resulted in a lawsuit against Broward schools and a “botched multimillion-dollar procurement process” meant to find an entity to oversee construction projects.
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