Audit finds Tooele County School District underperforming; recommends governance, instructional changes

Audit Office presenters told the Legislative Audit Subcommittee that Tooele County School District needs significant improvement in student achievement and in governance and policy adherence.

The audit team said Tooele serves about 16,000 students with roughly 900 teachers and that about one quarter of students are economically disadvantaged. Darren Underwood, who presented for the audit office, summarized the audit’s central conclusion: “Tooele County School District is underperforming compared to state targets, state averages, and all but 1 of its peer districts.”

The audit’s nut graf: auditors recommended structural and procedural changes intended to refocus district leadership on raising student learning gains, tighten policy compliance, and improve coordination among instruction-related departments.

Auditors recommended that the district consider creating an assistant superintendent position dedicated to academics, adopt “excellence plans” at each grade level and establish board tracking of performance goals in those…