Auditors flag juvenile detention education reporting inconsistency; County Superintendent says issue corrected

The Arizona Auditor General reported June 9, 2025, that the Maricopa County School Superintendent's Office inaccurately reported juvenile detention education program operations to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), with potential funding implications.

Auditors said the superintendent's office reported in June 2019 that it had separated juvenile detention education operations from its accommodation school beginning in FY2020, which could affect eligibility for alternative funding. The auditors found the office never fully separated the program from the accommodation school, and the superintendent's office received a total of $4,500,000 from ADE for juvenile detention education operations for fiscal years 2020 through 2024. Auditors said the office risks receiving less state funding if the reporting was incorrect or, conversely, that the state may have overpaid if the reporting resulted in more funding than statutorily allowed.

The finding was initially reported in FY2022; the superintendent's office had reported an anticipated correction date of July 1, 2024. At the June 9 meeting, Superintendent Boggs said the issue "has been corrected and also before my time," and that the office is working with managers to ensure the error does not recur.

Auditors recommended the superintendent's office either operate the program in accordance with ADE reporting guidance or inform ADE that operations are not separated, and ensure the program receives correct statutory funding based on the program's operational reporting status. Auditors said some corrective steps were taken before the end of FY2024 but that full correction will be evaluated in the FY2025 audit.