The $55,319 Question — And Why It Should Never Have Taken This Long
- Kathleen Sposato
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
For months, one simple question went unanswered:
Who authorized the transfer of $55,319 from the Board of Education’s non-lapsing fund?
It should have been an easy answer.
It wasn’t.
The Runaround
What followed were months of circular conversations, missing documentation, and unanswered requests.
I asked repeatedly:
Why do we keep reporting drastically different balances in that account?
Why did the auditor note a different amount on the Board of Ed books versus the Town's books?
Under what authority was the money moved?
Where was the vote?
Which governing body approved the transfer? Did they have the right to?
No one could provide a clear answer. In fact, I was ignored on multiple occasions for asking these simple questions. Ignored by the people elected to be in charge of YOUR tax dollars.
It wasn’t until I:
Tracked down the applicable Connecticut statute myself
Spoke directly with the town auditor
Reviewed meeting minutes line by line
…that the truth became clear:
The appropriate governing body never voted to transfer the funds. Let that sink in.
The Cost of Avoidance
While basic questions went unanswered, time — and taxpayer dollars — were spent elsewhere.
Legal counsel was consulted.
But here’s the problem:
That legal review was never shared with the full Board of Education.
Despite multiple requests.
Despite documented follow-ups.
Despite the request even appearing in an official meeting packet, after more than 15+ emails, just to have it included publicly.
Transparency shouldn’t require persistence at this level.
The “Resolution”
After months of confusion, the Board of Education ultimately did what should have happened from the start:
We voted to take back the $55,319 and apply it to our own budget — specifically to offset special education overages.
The discussion that led to this decision was telling.
There was:
No acknowledgment of the months of questions
No recognition of the research that uncovered the issue
No explanation of how this happened in the first place
Instead, the conversation was reduced to this:
“Since we are over budget… the easiest thing for everybody concerned would be to take that money from the non-lapsing fund and use it for the special ed over right now…”
That was it.
No accountability.
No transparency.
No reflection.
Why This Matters
This was never just about $55,319.
It was about:
Process
Accountability
Respect for governing authority
Transparency to the public
If a transfer like this can happen without a vote, without documentation, and without clear answers…
What else is being missed?
The Bigger Concern
What’s most troubling is not just the error, but the response to it.
Questions were treated as inconveniences
Information was withheld or delayed
Transparency had to be forced, not offered
And ultimately, the issue was quietly corrected — without addressing how it happened.
That’s not how good governance works.
Moving Forward
The Board of Education made the right decision in the end.
But the path to get there exposed serious gaps that cannot be ignored.
We owe it to the community to ensure:
Decisions are properly authorized
Financial actions are clearly documented
Legal guidance is shared with the full board — not selectively withheld
Questions are answered the first time they are asked
Because residents deserve more than last-minute corrections.
They deserve confidence in the process from the start.
Final Thought
This situation didn’t resolve because the system worked.
It was resolved because someone refused to stop asking questions.
And that should concern everyone.
Legal Disclaimer: The views expressed here are my own and do not represent the official position of the Pomfret Board of Education.
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