Brockton Schools superintendent resigns following report revealing $18 million budget deficit

Brockton schools’ superintendent has resigned following a scathing report on the school district’s budget.

Michael Thomas, whose contract would expire in the 2026-2027 school year, according to WBZis resigning after the release of a study revealing an $18 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2023.

An independent The investigation into the Brockton schools’ budget released Aug. 15 described the deficit as well as rampant “incompetence, territorial limits and woefully inadequate checks and balances” found in the district’s budget practices.

The budget was created by Thomas, a process that received very little oversight, according to the report. Within that budget, the overspending that caused the shortfall included devoting money to personal travel and out-of-district tuition, according to the investigation.

Priya Tahiliani will continue to serve as interim superintendent as Thomas has been on leave since February as well as extended sick leave.

The report said the investigation found no evidence of financial fraud or theft. It was also pointed out that Thomas is “not a numbers guy” by his own omission and has no financial background.

It also blamed the Brockton School Committee for being “insignificant and uninvolved in financial matters.”

A special Brockton School Committee meeting Sept. 10 offered a chance for members to give their thoughts on the fiscal pitfalls in their district.

“This is enough to know that the manager at the time, the CFO at the time, did a terrible job,” committee member Jorge Vega said. “You can’t be rewarded for doing a terrible job, so this is all the information I need to make a decision.”