'This is beyond irresponsible': Brockton schools assistant CFO seeks whistleblower protection

BROCKTON — Brockton Public Schools' Assistant Chief Financial Officer Chris Correia, who was put on administrative leave in early September after the announcement of the $14.4 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2023, had warned school district Chief Financial Officer Aldo Petronio of the impending financial crisis as early as July 2022, according to emails obtained by The Enterprise on Monday.

Attorneys representing Correia also informed city and school district officials that they plan to file a lawsuit against the city for violating the Massachusetts Whistleblower Protection Act by retaliating against Correia when they placed him on leave.

"Over the course of the last fifteen (15) months Mr. Correia has repeatedly warned his supervisors and school department officials of the impending financial disaster that has only recently become public knowledge," Timothy M. Burke, Correia's lawyer, wrote in the letter to city officials on Friday.

Burke sent the letter to Mayor Robert Sullivan, Brockton City Solicitor Megan Bridges, Acting Superintendent of Schools James Cobbs and Brockton Human Resources Director Sandi Charton on Sept. 8 and was obtained by The Enterprise on Sept. 11, along with various email correspondence between Correia, Petronio and Superintendent Michael Thomas, who is currently on an extended medical leave.

"We cannot continue to enter into contracts that we haven't accounted for in the current budget," Correia wrote in an email to Petronio dated July 21, 2022. "Given the District's budget shortfall for FY23, we need to implement conservative spending policies in order to avoid major cuts and layoffs."

Correia, who has worked in Brockton Public Schools for 22 years, was told at the time he was placed on leave that his departure was directly connected to the budget deficit, Burke said in an interview with The Enterprise Monday afternoon.

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"It is common district practice for those directly involved in an internal investigation to be placed on leave so as to maintain the integrity of the investigatory process," Brockton Public Schools spokesperson Jess Silva-Hodges said in an emailed statement to The Enterprise on Monday. "Placing the leaders of the Finance Department on paid leave during an independent external audit of the district's finances should in no way be misconstrued as an assumption of culpability."

"As this is a personnel matter, the Brockton School Committee and the City of Brockton are unable to comment at this time," Silva-Hodges added.

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Correia and Burke claim the school district violated state whistleblower protection laws by wrongfully punishing Correia after he tried to notify officials about the financial situation.

"Frankly, it's outrageous what was done to him after all he has tried to do to bring this information to the attention of the school and city officials," Burke said.

Correia informed the district multiple times

Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, Correia had been sounding the alarm that the district didn't have enough money for payroll and transportation expenses, and that Brockton Public Schools couldn't afford to pay the new staff hired before the year began, according to Correia's emails to both Petronio and Thomas.

"We are over staffed in Para's and there has to be people we can shift to K classrooms, instead of hiring. With the reduction in enrollment, T & Land HR need to get a handle on staffing levels … the math no longer makes sense. Let's discuss this ASAP," Correia wrote in an email to Petronio on Sept. 17, 2022.

"As I've already said, the FY23 budget cannot support an additional $2M in out of district tuitions," Correia said to Petonio in an email on Sept. 30, 2022.

According to Burke, Correia met with Thomas, Sullivan and other city officials multiple times to discuss the overspent budget. Correia also gave suggestions for how to reduce spending, but Burke said warnings and suggestions went ignored.

"I've continued to analyze my budget projection as well as meet with leaders from vital departments to try to paint a clearer picture of where we will stand come June 30th. Unfortunately, it pains me to report that the situation has become quite critical," Correia wrote in an April 1, 2023, email to Petronio, titled "FY23 Budget Crisis," sent with high importance.

"After running numerous payroll scenarios and analyzing all non-budgeted items that impacted the FY23 budget, I'm projecting a shortfall of $13 million" Correia added.

According to the email, Correia, Petonio and Thomas met on March 20, 2023 and April 3, 2023 to discuss the budget shortfall.

Correia suggested solutions

While Correia informed officials about the budget shortfall, he suggested ways to cut back on spending, but Burke said the suggestions were ignored.

"The Huntington School closure has been another significant blow to the FY23 budget. On May 5, 2022, in a meeting with Superintendent Thomas, Deputy Superintendent Wolder, Sue Szachowicz & Laurie Mason, I stated that this move to close the Huntington School would negatively impact the FY23 budget and I voted against moving forward with that measure. And I expressed my concerns again via email on September 30, 2022," Correia wrote to Petronio in an April 1, 2023, email. "Regrettably my concerns were ignored."

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In his various emails, Correia warned that the district had overspent on its staffing and transportation contracts, which Thomas and Silva-Hodges later confirmed after the deficit became public in August.

"And lastly and what appears to be the most significant impact to the current budget shortfall, is the hiring of more than 100 in-house staff members and outside vendors/consultants/mentors that were not approved by School Committee," Correia wrote in the April 2023 "budget crisis" email. "This factor alone, is projected to cost the district an additional $7 million that was not anticipated or budgeted. There needs to be a control put in place immediately, where the Finance Office approve any new hire or outside contractor in order for that contract to be valid."

Despite his warnings and financial advice, the district placed Correia on administrative leave a day after the $14.4 million deficit figure was made public by Sullivan on Aug. 31.

"I'm hopeful that we'll be able to mitigate the deficit, but immediate action is required," Correia wrote in an April 3, 2023, email to Thomas. "Aldo & I will continue freezing available local funds, but all current non-compliance LOA's will need to be reviewed and terminated. LOA's were compiled this evening and they'll be available to be reviewed tomorrow morning. Cell phone use and wifi use by vendors also needs to be terminated and that list will be furnished to you as well for review/approval."

When did Mayor Sullivan find out?

On Aug. 6, Correia told Petronio in an email that even with the district's financial resources, there would still be at least a $12 million deficit for the fiscal year 2023 budget, which by then he had warned officials for 15 months.

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"I have asked repeatedly that School Committee be informed of this crisis, but my recommendations have been ignored. I have attempted to offer suggestions and develop procedures to help curtail the deficit, but have been met with resistance by the Superintendent," Correia wrote in an email to Petonio on Aug. 6.

"I urge you, for the final time, please schedule an emergency meeting with the School Committee tomorrow morning to brief them on the shortfall. If you fail to do so, I will be forced to contact the Committee," Correia added.

Petronio informed Corriea in an email on Aug. 7 that he would schedule a meeting with Sullivan and Thomas to announce the deficit to the committee.

At the school committee's most recent meeting on Sept. 6, Sullivan told the nearly full auditorium and the roughly 500 YouTube livestream viewers that he first learned of the deficit on Aug. 8. The school committee was informed at their meeting on Aug. 15 by Petronio, who said he didn't have "any hard numbers yet," despite Correia informing him by email of an at least $12 million deficit on Aug. 6.

Burke said his office plans to file a lawsuit against the city and school district in the next few weeks.

Enterprise staff writer Chris Butler can be reached by email at cbutler@enterprisenews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton schools deficit: Assistant CFO emails warn of budget crisis