IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS IN DIRE MONEY STRAITS, WHY DID IT WASTE SO MUCH?

When the South Orange Maplewood School District dropped a bombshell this week that its preliminary budget plan includes cutting 20 staffers --10 of them teachers -- and other serious cost cuts, from textbooks to training, it surprised many.

Not only because it was the first real sign the budget is in bad shape. But also because it flies in the face of how the district has been spending money on some events in the past few months, with thousands of dollars going to consultants and guest speakers at a time when they are also crying poor. 

Business Administrator Cheryl Schneider said Monday night, "we are getting into areas where we are wondering if we are going to have as much as we really need."

So one wonders about some spending that has been done in just the months since Superintendent John Ramos took over Aug. 1, 2015. 

In that time, the district:

* Spent $8,100 in September 2015 to hire Ramos friend Josiah Haig to run a one-day school board seminar.
* Spent a combined $13,500 to have civil rights icon Ruby Bridges speak at two events on Jan. 21, 2016.
* Announced plans on Feb. 22, 2016, to hire a consultant for up top $5,000 to review district bullying complaints against CHS baseball Coach Joseph Fichetti that the district already found valid.
* Announced plans on Feb. 22, 2016, to hire a redistricting consultant. Cost unknown. 

That's on top of thousands of dollars approved each month for travel and events for staff. See what was approved for just this month HERE.

That's not to say that travel and events for staff, especially training, is a waste of money. But clearly having consultants hired to do work the staff may best be doing, or have done in the case of the coach's HIB issues -- and hiring paid speakers -- shows at least some irresponsibility when the budget is so dire.

Ramos deserves some credit for reaching out to groups like the Achieve Foundation as he did for funds to hire a consulting firm to help facilitate the Education Summit and the ongoing strategic planning (even if the planning has come under fire for offering more theory than detail).

But perhaps rather than focusing on a strategic plan that seems all broad terms and hype rather than details and substance, the district and school board should cut spending on things it does not need rather than be quick to cut what it does need.