Officials call for investigation into South Country School District's finances
"In all my years of public service, I have never seen such a dire and disastrous financial situation," said state Sen. Dean Murray on Facebook about the district.
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Lawmakers are calling for a criminal investigation into South Country School District's finances.
"In all my years of public service, I have never seen such a dire and disastrous financial situation," said state Sen. Dean Murray on Facebook about the district.
In response to what he called a "disaster" financial situation, he is now requesting the Suffolk County district attorney to look into potential criminal malfeasance.
As News 12 has previously reported, the district recently approved an $18 million loan to close an $8.7 million gap in this year's budget, plus millions more projected for next year.
"Based on their current situation, the district was set to run out of money in the beginning of May," said Sen. Murray. "When I say 'run out of money' I mean that literally, not figuratively."
He wrote that he and Assemblyman Joe DeStefano were approached by school district officials in January, who told them they had overspent by about $3.4 million.
As the weeks past, he said the numbers changed, increasing to a $8.7 million shortfall this, year with a negative $1.8 million in reserves and total $10.5 million for the 2025-26 school year.
"This was not a bailout. This was a responsible, targeted rescue," DeStefano wrote online.
DeStefano is also looking to implement a plan including:
Quarterly financial reporting
Full transparency with state and local officials
Accountability measures to ensure this never happens again
News 12 reached out to the school district for comment but has not yet heard back.
