Handelman Discusses $1.8M Shortfall

Superintendent Matt Handleman (pictured) circulated an email to School District 271 employees last night, which reads in part:

“Though not ideal to be part of a holiday greeting, I want to take a moment to communicate directly and as openly as I can with everyone about what you have probably heard or read in the news:  Our construction bond budget gap.  Yes, it is true – about $1.8M.  This is troubling, but not insurmountable. This week, I spoke with our Certified Advisory groups about the situation (you might ask your building rep for more details if you are interested).  I can tell everyone this:  Rumors that someone has “run away” with money are not true … no kickbacks, nothing illegal.  We certainly have a huge challenge on our hands – reminiscent of what happened with/to the Lakes remodel long before my arrival.  But this situation is actually extremely different: in the Lakes situation, our district overspent; this time, it was about being overly optimistic about savings from other projects – savings that didn’t materialize.” Complete email here.

Thoughts?