Dearest reader,
We have counted Clarkston Community Schools' students.
We have counted the staff.
We have looked at employee compensation.
Now Lady B has reached one of her favorite parts of the ledger.
The check register.
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Let us begin with legal services.
Dickinson Wright PLLC: $55,635.50
Thrun Law Firm: $25,215.76
Total identified legal services:
$80,851.26
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Then there is consulting.
Pediatric Health Consultants: $435,289.39
Spectrum Behavioral Consulting: $30,387.50
Zava Global Partners LLC: $11,816.67
Secure Environment Consultants: $8,000.00
H2H Consulting / Kendra Corman: $7,500.00
Triple R Consultants: $4,800.00
Pediatric Health Consultants certainly earns a rather large line in this particular ledger.
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Next stop: travel and lodging.
Lady B identified $62,346.86 in hotel and resort charges in the 2024-25 check register.
Included in that total:
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel: $6,964.16
Again, the ledger tells us what was paid.
It does not necessarily tell us who traveled, why they traveled, how many people attended, or whether the expense was worthwhile.
Those are separate questions.
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Clarkston also reported:
Association Dues: $65,079.54
And one technology vendor caught Lady B's attention:
Apple Computer Inc.: $101,479.28
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Two familiar names from other district ledgers were notably absent.
Lady B found no Apptegy payments in the 2024-25 check register.
She also found no Munitrex payments.
Sometimes what is not in the ledger is worth noting too.
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None of these expenses standing alone establishes that anything improper occurred.
That is not what Lady B's check-register reviews are for.
The purpose is much simpler.
Taxpayers provide the money.
They should be able to see where it went.
And when hundreds of thousands of dollars flow to consultants, tens of thousands go toward legal services, association dues and travel, and more than $100,000 goes to a single technology vendor, taxpayers are perfectly entitled to ask what they received in return.
No accusation necessary.
Just open books and reasonable questions.
Clarkston still has one more stop.
Lady B is heading to the audit.
With receipts and respect. 👑
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