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Rochester board votes to hire independent audit of Oracle payroll work
Summary
The Rochester City School District Board of Education voted to authorize an independent, third‑party audit into the district’s Oracle implementation after commissioners debated scope and whether to await a state audit.
The Rochester City School District Board of Education voted Sept. 9 to direct the superintendent to procure an independent third‑party firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of the district’s Oracle implementation and related matters.
The board approved resolution 149 after extended discussion about scope, timing and whether a state audit should proceed instead. President Simmons opened the discussion by describing the audit as an opportunity for fact finding and learning about how the district arrived at the current situation with Oracle. “If we don’t know what we did wrong, how do we expect not to make those same mistakes in the future?” Commissioner Patterson said, advocating for parallel external and internal reviews. "This audit should have been done prior to any new superintendent coming into the seat," Patterson added.
Several commissioners urged a forensic review of both the Oracle project and financial controls. Commissioner Griffin called for a thorough forensic audit and said the district and students have been harmed by delays in resolving the payroll and implementation problems. Commissioner Lebron said he sent a letter to the New York State Comptroller’s office asking for an audit and said he would not support additional local spending for a separate audit while a state review is possible. Commissioner Santiago said he would support a third‑party audit only if the state audit office declined to pursue an investigation, citing the risk and cost of duplicative reviews.
Vice President Malloy and others said the board needs answers quickly but should avoid disrupting district operations. President Simmons noted the origin of the Oracle issue extends back to 2021 and described how reported obligations rose across multiple years, saying the figures moved from about $12,000,000 to larger totals in subsequent years.
The approved resolution directs the superintendent to procure a qualified independent firm in accordance with the district’s contract policy for professional services (policy 6741). The resolution passed by voice vote; the board’s president announced that the ayes had it and the measure carried. The resolution also allows the board to reconsider or coordinate its action with any parallel state review if necessary.
The motion to approve the independent audit was moved by Vice President Malloy and seconded by Commissioner Griffin. The board recorded no detailed vote tally in the public discussion at the work session.
