Audit committee review: attendance audits show unexcused‑absence impacts; maintenance work‑order system lags

Myra Martinez, chief internal auditor, reported to the EL PASO ISD audit committee on the internal audit activity for the fiscal year through March, describing progress on 24 engagements (46% complete) and recent findings from attendance and maintenance reviews.

On attendance and truancy, Martinez said the department added targeted audits at multiple high schools and tested 100% of unexcused‑absence records for the campuses reviewed; the two completed audits in quarter 3 were El Paso High and Bowie. Martinez summarized common findings: prevalent unexcused absences, inconsistent campus self‑audits and teacher attendance taking, data‑coding exceptions at some campuses, and weaknesses in development or documentation of 45‑day attendance improvement plans. She noted findings showed that where plans existed they often lacked evidence of…