United ISD board workshop examines special‑education spending after public complaints; internal audit review under way

At a February 2025 United Independent School District Board of Trustees workshop, public commenters raised concerns about recent Special Education department purchases and district event spending, prompting district staff to describe stronger procurement controls and to refer the matter to internal audit for review.

The comments sparked board discussion and presentations from Special Education and purchasing staff about how purchases are approved and how e‑commerce substitutions are handled.

"Resources must be allocated where they are most needed, at the campus level, where they directly impact student learning," Leticia Juarez told trustees during public comments, naming several specific line items she said illustrated a spending mismatch, including a $6,900 portraits line, a roughly $6,000 billboard item, and a $32,000 contractual‑services figure cited during her remarks.

Rebecca Morales, associate superintendent for district administration and student services, and Laura De Los Santos, executive director of Special Education, responded during the workshop. De Los Santos said the items at issue were intended as staff incentives and outreach tools. She told the board the department initially sought metal tumblers labeled "IEP — I encourage progress," and that a sequence of product substitutions and price changes resulted in a lower‑cost purchase; she insisted the department’s intent was not to buy wine glasses.

Corey Jackson, director of purchasing, explained the district’s requisition and purchase‑order controls. Jackson said purchase requisitions are created at campuses and departments, must be approved by principals or directors, are entered into the district’s eFinance system and routed through designated approval groups. She described thresholds for competitive sourcing: spot purchases under $3,500, quote requirements for $3,500–$24,999, request‑for‑quotes for $25,000–$49,999, and solicitations posted to the board for purchases $50,000 and above.

Felipe Jimenez, fiscal operations administrator, walked trustees through the approval groups and budget controls purchasing and the budget office use to verify coding and available funds before converting a requisition to a purchase order.

Jackson and purchasing staff also described how orders placed through large e‑commerce vendors such as Amazon are handled: campuses assemble a shopping cart, and the designated campus purchaser releases the cart with a purchase‑order number. If an item is out of stock, campus staff can substitute a comparable item; material changes require a formal change‑order process and notification to purchasing.

De Los Santos said the Special Education department purchased 14 pairs of awareness tennis shoes; four did not fit and were reimbursed, leaving 10 issued to coordinators and leadership staff. On the tumblers, she described initial product choices at $16.99 each and later lower‑cost options at $5.31 each; she said the intent was incentives for employees and outreach at events, not promotion of alcohol.

Trustees noted community concern and asked staff to tighten documentation. Dr. Cruz (superintendent) said staff had already begun reviews and that the internal auditor was conducting a targeted review of the purchase orders and procedures discussed at the meeting. "Internal auditor is looking at this particular set of purchase orders," the superintendent said during the presentation.

Board members and staff urged clearer requisition notes and mandated uploading signed paper requisitions and supporting documentation into the e‑procurement system so auditors can review source documents electronically.

The board did not take a formal vote in the workshop; staff said the internal audit review and procurement adjustments would continue and that staff would bring findings and any recommended policy changes to a future meeting.