Dearest reader,

We've followed the enrollment. We've examined the staffing. We've opened the compensation reports.

Now, it's time to follow the checks. 🔎🪶

Welcome to Step 4 of my Grand Ledge Public Schools investigation.

And dear reader, this is where I start looking beyond the district's payroll and into the businesses, organizations, and professional services receiving taxpayer dollars.

💰 STEP 4: FOLLOWING THE MONEY

I examined Grand Ledge Public Schools' FY2025 check register and selected nine vendors for a closer look.

Here's what the district paid:

⚖️ Thrun Law Firm: $121,491.36

📣 King Media: $40,200.00

📊 Moody's Investors Service: $27,000.00

🏛� Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB): $11,617.93

📣 Communications by Design: $6,976.25

📰 Gannett Michigan Newspapers: $4,571.18

🎨 Bee Content Design: $3,000.00

📋 Triple R Consultants: $1,800.00

🏛� Michigan School Business Officials (MSBO): $675.00

💵 TOTAL: $217,331.72

That's more than $217,000 paid to just nine selected vendors during the fiscal year.

And remember, this isn't the district's entire vendor list. These are specific payments I selected for examination.

⚖️ LET'S START WITH THE ATTORNEYS.

Thrun Law Firm received $121,491.36.

That represents approximately 56% of the payments on this particular list.

Now, school districts certainly need legal representation. Employment matters, contracts, labor negotiations, board governance, and other issues can require legal counsel.

But $121,491 raises a reasonable question.

What legal matters generated those expenses?

How much involved routine district operations, and how much involved matters that could potentially have been avoided?

A check register tells me who received the money. It doesn't necessarily tell me why every dollar was spent.

And that's an important distinction.

📣 COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Now let's look at another group of payments.

King Media: $40,200.00

Communications by Design: $6,976.25

Gannett Michigan Newspapers: $4,571.18

Bee Content Design: $3,000.00

Combined, that's $54,747.43.

Dear reader, Grand Ledge also has a Director of Communications.

As we learned in Step 3, that position carried $189,029.51 in total employer compensation during 2025.
So naturally, I have questions.

What communications services were being purchased externally?

Which services were performed by the district's own communications department?

Were these payments for advertising, publications, specialized projects, or something else?

And how does the district determine when it needs outside services rather than handling the work internally?

I'm not suggesting the expenses are improper.

I'm asking whether the responsibilities and expenditures are clearly defined.

Because taxpayers are entitled to understand what they're purchasing.

📊 BOND RATINGS & PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Moody's Investors Service received $27,000.

MASB received $11,617.93.

MSBO received $675.

Bond ratings, professional development, organizational memberships, and related services can serve legitimate purposes.

But legitimate purposes don't eliminate the need for financial scrutiny.

What services were provided?

What benefits did the district receive?

And how are those expenditures evaluated?

I'll be examining association dues separately because there's another interesting layer to that particular subject.

🔎 THE BIGGER PICTURE

Now, remember what we've already uncovered in this investigation.

Step 1 showed that average teacher salaries increased 12.71% over the decade, but lost 16.62% of their purchasing power after inflation.

Step 2 showed administrative staffing increased 57.14%, while instructional aide staffing declined 43.81%.

Step 3 identified 10 central administration and district leadership positions carrying $2,130,553.58 in combined annual employer compensation.

And now Step 4 identifies another $217,331.72 paid to nine selected outside vendors.

These figures represent different categories of spending, and they should not be treated as interchangeable or automatically added together.

But examining them side by side raises an important question.

How does Grand Ledge evaluate the balance between classroom resources, administrative staffing, and outside professional services?

Because every financial decision reflects a priority.

And those priorities deserve to be examined.

One final note, dear reader.

I have intentionally left major construction management and architectural payments out of this step.

Why?

Because those expenditures deserve their own examination.

And trust me, we're going to get there.

The next chapter of this investigation will take us into the district's financial statements, fund balances, and bond-related expenditures.

There's still plenty of ledger left to open. 📖

With receipts and respect,
Lady B 🪶

#LadyBudgetdown #GrandLedgePublicSchools #MichiganSchools #SchoolFinance #TaxpayerTransparency #FiscalAccountability #PublicEducation #SchoolSpending #SchoolAdministration #FollowTheMoney #WithReceiptsAndRespect