The Mehlville school system is in a terrible financial mess, and it has no easy way out.

Last spring, with good intentions, the school board approved a large increase in teacher compensation. The district’s pay scale lagged behind other public schools in St. Louis County, so the board members tried to close the gap by approving a 6 percent raise.

Then, what they say about good intentions came true.

Before voting for the increase, the board had turned to the district’s chief financial officer and asked if the district could afford it. He said yes. His financial projections turned out to be wrong.

Very wrong. He has since been demoted.

Now the district must figure out how to pay for the teachers’ raise while meeting other expenses. Millions of dollars are at stake, and, at a minimum, it means that the district will have to dig deep into its reserves, make cuts in other parts of the budget or both. District leaders also may have to ask taxpayers to bail them out.

There but for the grace of a good auditor goes any volunteer member of a public board — although more than one Mehlville board member sensed that the financial projections might be amiss. They pressed the CFO on the point and repeatedly were assured that everything was in order.

There are important lessons in all this for those would-be citizen stewards — whether they have been appointed or elected to sit on school boards, city councils, fire districts or any other public body:

• Do your homework ahead of time. Too many pick up their meeting materials at the last minute and skim them, thinking they can figure out what they need to know at the meeting itself. That can lead to serious problems.

• Ask questions. You don’t get into trouble by asking too many questions; you get into trouble by asking too few.

• Be deliberative. There are very few true urgencies in public business. Board members should insist on taking all the time they need to come to a well-reasoned decision. If that means tabling a vote and rescheduling a matter for a later meeting, so be it.

• Seek outside advice from disinterested third parties. The professional staffs associated with public bodies do their best to keep governing boards well informed. But some issues and questions may be beyond the scope of even the most trusted and conscientious staff members. Board members should not hesitate to suggest seeking a second opinion. Or a third.

There’s a lot of finger pointing in Mehlville over the school district’s budget debacle. Some officials who should be stepping up and accepting responsibility are parsing meeting transcripts and deflecting blame.

Mehlville residents deserve answers, and this summer, they will gain a powerful tool. Earlier this month, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt signed into law a bill that includes a provision giving the state auditor the “power to audit any school district within the state.”

The law becomes effective August 28. The Mehlville School Board should make an appointment with Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee now.