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Lee County Schools reports 87% completion of Evergreen audit recommendations; district to use vendor for long-vacant custodial roles
Summary
District leaders told the board that 87% of Evergreen audit recommendations from 2023 have been implemented; the district will contract with ESS to fill some long-standing custodial vacancies, which staff said could save roughly $10,500 versus hiring full-time with benefits.
District leaders gave the Lee County Board of Education an update on the Evergreen organizational audit first shared in 2023, reporting that the district considers about 87% of the audit’s 97 recommendations completed or implemented.
Chief administrative staff told the board the audit report covered areas from district organization and management to curriculum and instruction. The district provided board members a packet showing recommendation status. Staff said some recommendations were completed quickly after the audit and others were implemented more recently.
Administrators confirmed the district elected not to follow five of the audit’s recommendations. As an example, staff and the board said a 2023 recommendation to eliminate the federal programs director position was not adopted because district leaders believe the position was essential to securing grants and supporting students.
The presentation also addressed custodial staffing shortages identified in the audit and during follow-up work. District staff said some custodial posts have been vacant for six, 12 or 18 months and described a plan to use an outside vendor, ESS, to fill certain long-standing vacancies. Staff said ESS agreed to terms the district set, including not paying outsourced employees more than current custodians and requiring outsourced workers to obtain a bus license where relevant.
Administrators said using the vendor to fill vacancies could save the district approximately $10,500 (district statement) because the district would not pay retirement and benefits for those outsourced positions. Staff emphasized the vendor arrangement is intended to fill long-standing vacancies only and not to replace current custodial employees on duty at schools.
Board members praised the audit process and asked staff to continue tracking progress. One board member said the audit and the district leadership changes it prompted have yielded cost savings and improvements in accountability. Staff said further documentation and detailed progress notes are in the board packet and offered to answer additional questions outside the meeting.
No formal vote was required or taken on the audit status or the vendor staffing plan at the meeting; staff said long-term staffing changes would follow applicable purchasing and contracting rules and the board’s oversight.
