The Alamance-Burlington School System hired Tony Messer as its new chief finance officer immediately following a financial crisis that came to the forefront in summer 2023 and continues to impact the school system.
Messer was previously the CFO for Chatham County Board of Education before joining ABSS.
ABSS also recently announced that it is in a $2.4 million deficit for the 2024-25 school year — as it overspent its budget for last year, according to a report released July 22.
A mold outbreak in 32 schools also affected the budget, with cleaning the facilities costing the district $25.8 million. Students had to wait until Sept. 8, 2023, for approval to enter the classroom, which is a problem that has not resurfaced, but had left a severe impact.
“Adding to the financial scrutiny, the district's finances will be under heightened observation due to potential compliance issues related to mold remediation processes,” ABSS wrote in a statement made July 22. “This increased oversight underscores the importance of transparent and meticulous financial management in the coming year.”
Former ABSS CFO Kim McVey left her position Feb. 19 after investigations began for the financial crisis. ABSS Board Chair Sandy Ellington-Graves said she is hoping newly hired ABSS superintendent Aaron Fleming will balance the budget due to Fleming’s background in finance.
“He has experience on school finance that I think will help bring the financial stability that we desperately need in the school district,” Ellington-Graves said in a previous statement to ENN. “He has a great working relationship with elected leaders, so that's something that we're hoping that he's going to really be able to drive a lot of collaboration with our county commissioners.”