The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education wants to get a better handle on the district’s finances. At a work session this week, board members told the finance director to rework the district’s Financial and Operating Plan to better reflect student numbers. Overall, they want a clearer picture of exactly where Benton Harbor Area Schools stands financially. Treasurer Angelika MacGowan spoke with WSJM News.
“We want to get a better handle on the dollar amount that we have, where it’s being spent, where it’s being allocated to get a true picture as to where we are financially,” MacGowan said.
The current financial plan for Benton Harbor Area Schools anticipates the debt being paid off in the 2025-2026 school year. However, at this week’s work session, McGowan pointed out to the finance director that the plan also relies on enrollment increasing, something that has not been happening. Trustee Steven Mitchell said the board should not renew any administrator contracts until it has a better picture of the finances.
