HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A massive budget deficit of as much as $9 million is being discussed on Monday night at a L'anse Creuse Public Schools board meeting.
Parents were alerted to the news that expressed major concerns over the shortfall tripling in less than a year.
“I don’t understand how that much money goes missing," Ryan Strukel, a parent, said.
“I would definitely not want it to affect the teachers or what that can provide for my kids," parent Rachel Hanner said.
Confusion is turning to fear and even anger at what's playing out in the district.
“What was going through your mind?" I asked Hanner.
"How did they get there, and what are we going to do about it now?” she said.
On Monday, I called the superintendent to request an interview, but he declined and instead sent me a statement, which reads in part:
LCPS is navigating financial challenges due to the expiration of COVID relief funds and state funding assumptions that did not materialize as expected...The previous administration adopted a budget in June 2024, projecting a $3 million use of the district’s $18.9 million fund balance to maintain operations. Updated projections indicate that the shortfall will be larger than expected, with a worst case scenario around $9 million.
School Board Trustee Shane Sellers said he is not satisfied with the explanation and said he's filed a police report.
“What made you ask for criminal investigation?" I asked.
"I don’t know how we went from $3 million to a $9 million deficit in six months. I want an unbiased perspective, not from the district," Sellers said.
The recent outlook is just being processed by students, parents and staff, Sellers is also asking when the district knew about the deficit.
“When did they know before informing the board? I was very concerned when the superintendent told me it was four months," he said.
The district has 9,400 students and 1,400 employees, and Sellers said the facts must be brought to light.
Although this school year may not see drastic changes, the long-term impact could be massive.
There are also more financial questions being looked at by district leaders and local law enforcement.
“It’s not going to be good if a lot of things are cut and taken away," Strukel said.
