The superintendent of the Brockton (Massachusetts) school district has resigned, days after an independent report into the district's $18 million deficit was released.
CBS News reports that Michael Thomas, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 school year, had been on administrative leave since February.
The report found a culture of "incompetence, territorial boundaries, and woefully inadequate checks and balances," in the school district's budgeting process. The report said there was little to no oversight of the district's budget, which was created by Thomas.
The deficit was caused primarily by overspending on personnel, transportation, and out-of-district tuition, the report found.
According to the report, Thomas offered former New England Patriots player Jermaine Wiggins $100,000 to coach the high school football team, by using a grant for youth at risk of gang involvement. The high school coach was previously paid a $15,000 stipend to coach.
Thomas has been replaced by Priya Tahiliani, who was named interim superintendent.
"Work is already underway to reinvent our budget process while continuing to return the focus to students' education and achievement," said Tahiliani.
