Legislative audit finds gaps in state oversight of K‑12 school construction

Legislative auditors told the Education Interim Committee on Sept. 1 that the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is not sufficiently overseeing K‑12 school construction and recommended steps including standardized cost reporting, better training and consideration of moving oversight responsibilities to an agency with construction expertise. The audit covers more than $3.6 billion in school projects since 2019 and identifies permit, inspection and code compliance problems that auditors say risk school property and occupant safety.

The audit, presented by Jesse Martinson and Jake Davis of the Legislative Auditor General’s Office, said one significant finding was that 87% of sampled preconstruction permits reflected either that construction began before a permit was issued or that a permit was not obtained. “We were asked to look at the oversight provided for public school constructions for K‑12 and the LEAs,” Martinson said, noting the $3.6 billion figure since 2019. Davis said the State Board’s database and internal controls do not generate actionable information for enforcement and that USBE’s process for notifying districts of…