Baton Rouge - The Louisiana Fiscal Review Committee on July 30 voted to approve the appointment of a fiscal administrator for the Madison Parish School District after hearing reports of significant financial instability.
Certified public accountant Tim Green told the committee his firm was hired in April to help the district complete its overdue 2023-24 audit. He said his team found the district lacked sufficient funds for payroll, had not completed bank reconciliations for a year, and missed reimbursement requests for more than \$800,000 in eligible federal COVID-19 expenditures.
Green said the district borrowed $875,000 from its child nutrition program and $640,000 from its workers’ compensation fund to meet payroll. He projected a loss of $2.8 million to $3.5 million for the fiscal year, reducing most of the district’s 2023 fund balance.
Green said the district faces a difficult fall with limited cash flow, ongoing payroll obligations of about $950,000 a month, and a $1.8 million bond payment due in March. He told the committee the situation requires personnel reductions and budget cuts to return to fiscal stability.
School board members Shelley Crawford and Marguerite Hargrave, along with Superintendent Charlie Butler, told the committee they supported the appointment and would work with the fiscal administrator to implement necessary changes.
The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education submitted a resolution supporting the appointment, and the committee voted unanimously to proceed. A judge in Madison Parish will make the formal appointment within 20 days of receiving the motion.
