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District consultants find extensive problems in Monrovia Unified business services; board hears recommendations
Summary
A consultant study presented to the Monrovia board cataloged frequent turnover, weak internal controls and missing procedures in the district business services office and offered more than 100 recommendations; board members said several fixes are already underway.
A fiscal consultant study presented at the Aug. 13 Monrovia Unified School District board meeting documented widespread operational weaknesses in the district’s business services office and provided more than 100 (meeting remarks also referenced 133) recommendations for improvement.
The presentation, described in the meeting record as conducted by a consultant group identified as Figma, focused on budget development, payroll, accounts payable/receivable, position control and related internal controls. Meeting remarks summarized the consultants’ findings as including frequent turnover in key positions, limited institutional knowledge, outdated or missing written procedures and weak internal controls that increase fiscal risk.
Board members and the superintendent told the board the business services office has experienced high turnover and that district leadership already has begun implementing some of the consultant recommendations. Board member Trevante said the report was difficult to read but offered an actionable path forward; board member Lockerbie said an earlier FCMAT review had also informed improvements and that district staff were already working on centralizing some HR and finance processes.
Why it matters: Weak internal controls and staff turnover in a school district's finance and business service functions increase the risk of errors, delayed payments, and operational disruption. Meeting remarks stressed that recommendations are useful only if fully implemented.
What the report recommends and next steps: Consultants recommended documenting procedures, clarifying roles and strengthening monitoring and oversight. District leaders reported they had begun implementing changes, including centralizing some processes and recruiting to fill vacancies. Board members emphasized oversight and training, and speakers asked the district to invest in staff training so improvements are sustainable.
Outstanding details: The consultant presentation was described as completed in spring but delayed in presentation to the board, and the presenting consultant noted some findings may be out of date because the district has already taken some corrective actions. The transcript did not include a speaker-by-speaker enumeration of each of the consultant's recommendations or a published timeline for implementation.
