MIAMI -- Members of the School Board of Miami-Dade County face an $85 million decision: Should they abandon the project to upgrade the district’s 25-year-old computer software or continue with the effort that is months behind schedule and millions over budget?

“This is just horrible,” said school board member Dr. Marta Perez at a workshop about the project’s status Thursday.

“This is a scandal, in my opinion,” said board member Perla Hantman.

Perez and Hantman are two board members whose requests for information about the project’s progress from former Superintendent Dr. Rudy Crew were never fully filled.

ERP, also known as BOSS, is a software system used in other urban school districts for operations and payroll. Miami-Dade’s school board approved it on recommendations from Crew, whose administration called it essential and worth the $85 million cost.

But in the last year, the team working on the project missed deadlines and exceeded budget projections, although school board members had little idea. District staff blamed outside consultants Deloitte Consultants LLC, whose employees, in turn, blamed district staff, Local 10's Glenna Milberg reported.

An audit confirms the botched budget and timeline.

New Superintendent Alberto Carvalho urged the board to continue the project for several reasons.

As a software and computer asset, the project is being funded through capital dollars. However, ending the project before having the tangible asset created would disqualify it for capital budget funds. The district would have to pay the current $60 million debt with operating funds.

Also, the district has already paid Deloitte Consultants almost $30 million.

“The second issue is that, quite frankly, we walk away with nothing, having filled the pockets of a number of entities, and we get nothing in return,” Carvalho said.

“To abandon this, at this point in time, and rely on a 25-year-old system which could break down and absolutely destroy the integrity of the financial system would be a bad decision by the board,” said budget chief Richard Hinds.

The board is currently split in its support of whether to continue the project. It will decide after receiving information compiled by Carvalho and his staff about the value and liabilities of several potential scenarios.