Manatee Schools’ finance chief resigns. She has dealt with numerous money problems

Heather Jenkins, the chief financial officer for Manatee County schools, has submitted her resignation.

As a high-ranking member of the superintendent’s leadership team, Jenkins oversaw a budget totaling more than $850 million in the current school year. She worked as Manatee’s budget director for more than four years before she replaced the former chief financial officer, Rebecca Roberts, in April 2018.

If the school board approves her resignation on Tuesday evening, Jenkins will officially leave the district on March 2, with a final annual salary of $138,290, according to a statement from district spokesman Mike Barber.

He said Jenkins accepted a position as the senior director of finance for Polk County Public Schools. She resigned in a letter addressed to Superintendent Cynthia Saunders on Tuesday.

Jenkins’ new position is subject to approval by the School Board of Polk County next week, according to district spokesman Jason Geary. He said the district was still negotiating with Jenkins, and that Polk offers between $104,658 and $139,667 for the position — about $1,400 more than Jenkins’ current salary, at best.

“My decision is solely based on the desire to be closer to my new family,” Jenkins said in her resignation letter. “It was a difficult one to reach, but the direction I feel I need to go at this time.”

While its chief financial officer is departing, Manatee is still working to prepare its 2020-2021 budget, with a tentative budget hearing slated for July. The school district also expects to finalize its five-year capital plan by October.

The district said Tammy Taylor and Gina Maliniak, the director of finance and the budget director, respectively, will pick up Jenkins’ duties in the meantime.

“I have made arrangements with my new employer to be available to assist you over the next few months during the transition if you so choose,” Jenkins said in her resignation letter.

The school district has touted financial stability and growth during Jenkins’ tenure as the budget director and chief financial officer. Manatee announced its improved credit rating in June 2018, and it underscored healthy reserves in Wednesday’s statement, noting an increase from $14.4 million to more than $34.7 million between 2014 and 2019.

There were also troubles along the way. Jenkins recently faced questions about Manatee’s bank reconciliations, a fundamental accounting practice that helps to catch mistakes and fraud.

The school district was unable to fully reconcile one of its bank accounts for more than a year, according to a December 2019 report by internal auditors.

When questioned by Manatee’s volunteer Audit Committee, district officials said the problem resulted from a troubled software project. Commonly referred to as the ERP system, the business management software has caused headaches throughout Manatee since its launch on July 1.

The software was also blamed for a payroll issue in the previous school year. Manatee overpaid its employees by more than $321,000, and while over-payments were a historical problem in the district, Manatee said its new software worsened the problem.

Along with years of institutional knowledge, Jenkins has experience with the troubled business management software. Manatee is losing both with her resignation.

“Even though we have faced many challenges, I am extremely proud of all our accomplishments,” Jenkins said in her resignation letter. “It has been an honor to work under your leadership. You are an amazing Superintendent, boss, and leader.”

Manatee recently posted an online job listing for its next chief financial officer, with a salary ranging between $84,632 and $137,792. The district is hoping for someone with a master’s degree and at least eight years of experience in educational or corporate administration.

According to the listing, Manatee’s chief financial officer is expected to “supervise and direct activities regarding budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, accounts payable, payroll, cash management, investments, capital financing, student demographics, projections and assignments, purchasing, warehousing, property records and record retention functions of the District.”

The chief financial officer is a crucial position for Manatee County schools. In a prepared statement on Wednesday afternoon, the superintendent credited Jenkins for the district’s financial stability.

“Heather has a wonderful temperament and extremely sound judgment,” Saunders said. “You can trust what she says and what she does. She will be sorely missed and we wish her the very best of luck as she moves forward.”

This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 12:29 PM with the headline "Manatee Schools’ finance chief resigns. She has dealt with numerous money problems."