The City of Malden’s Controller has failed to audit the School Department for the last 10 years.
The Annual expenditure for Malden Public Schools in the 2025 School Year (Fall 2024-Spring 2025) is a whopping $124.5 Million dollars, this combined with other education related expenses appears to be more than 60% of the entire City budget.
The Controller, Mr. Ranaghan’s stated job duties can be seen on the City of Malden’s Website, and we have downloaded a copy for posterity.
The description of his job as stated is:
“The Controller’s Office is responsible for managing the City of Malden’s finances. This includes overseeing all departmental appropriations, recording all expenditures and assuring that departments operate within their annual appropriations. The Controller’s Office also audits all departments and reports the City’s financial status on an annual basis. The Controller also serves as Purchasing Agent for the City.”
Both DESE and the City of Malden identify the Schools as a department of the City. In 1882, the state passed a law that consolidated districts by giving authority only to municipalities to fund and manage school districts.
Malden’s City Charter acknowledges and embraces the City’s financial responsibilities for the Schools:
“All the rights and obligations of said town of Malden, in relation to the grant and appropriations of money for the support of schools, and the special powers and authority heretofore conferred by law upon the inhabitants of said town to raise money for the support of schools therein, shall be merged in the powers and obligations of the city, to be exercised in the same manner as over other subjects of taxation; and all grants and appropriations of money for the support of schools, and the erection and repair of school houses in said city, shall be made by the city council in the same manner as grants and appropriations are made for other city purposes. (Added: C. 169 of 1881; Amended: C. 278 of 1900, C. 113 of 1908, C. 155 of 1933, C. 255 of 1964; C. 434 of 1998; C. 15 of 1999, C. 114 of 2011)”
OpenCommonwealth has asked for all audits performed by the Cont6roller for any department for the last 10 years, we will post what we receive.