Breaking News: Dunsmore out as superintendent

Dr. Michael Dunsmore is no longer Wayne County Public Schools’ superintendent.

The news came nearly a week after WCPS officials and members of the Board of Education denied knowledge of the resignation of the district superintendent — and the day after an audit report revealed financial disarray within WCPS.

The announcement was made more than three-and-a-half hours after the board’s special-called meeting was supposed to resume. The delay was explained by board chairman Chris West, who said “there have been some developments” that resulted in the board’s attorney being late to the session.

The meeting did not begin at 5:30 p.m. as advertised, but after 7:30. Dunsmore was not present.

Then, moments later, the board went into another closed session to discuss “confidential personnel matters” and “maintain attorney/client privilege.”

The announcement came after 9:10.

The superintendent resigned less than 24 hours after an independent auditor told the board that a review of WCPS finances showed several areas of interest — everything from overspending on Central Office salaries and General Fund deficits to a $3 million transfer that no one is sure has been repaid.

The findings included:

• A steep downward trend in the district’s fund balance — from $7.1 million in the black in 2015 to $2.4 million in the red in 2019.

• A steep upward trend in the difference between expenses vs. revenues over the same period — from $1,553,793 in the black in 2015 to about $5.4 million in the red in 2019.

• Steep increases in expenditures in several categories from 2016 to 2019, most notably spending on “School Leadership,” up 98 percent since 2016 — from $516,329 in 2016 to $535,525 in 2018, with a spike to $1,023,760 in 2019; a 300-percent increase in spending in Systemwide support and development; a 446-percent increase in Systemwide technology support spending from 2018 to 2019; and a 164-percent increase in Systemwide financial and human resources spending from 2016 — from $296,176 in 2016 to $792,150 in 2019.

• A $3 million transfer “loan” made from the School Food Service Fund to the General Fund in 2019 and a finding of a negative balance of $3.9 million in that fund in 2019.

Dunsmore’s resignation comes as the district tries to rectify a projected $5 million budget deficit without Finance Officer Michael Hayes, who abruptly resigned May 26.

For more on this story as it develops — including coverage of the rest of the board’s special-called meeting — follow the New Old North here and on our Facebook and Instagram pages @newoldnorth