DEL VALLE, Texas — The Del Valle Independent School District Board of Trustees on April 30 accepted a forensic audit of the district’s finances and human‑resources practices that flagged potential conflicts of interest, procurement problems and data‑security risks tied to the district’s bond work and federal funding.

Weaver auditors told the board the district’s 2022 bond program shows an estimated cost‑to‑complete of $275,700,000 compared with a $300,000,000 budget and that the second high school was roughly 37% complete as of February 2025. Auditor Travis Kasner said the firm reviewed payments to vendors and contractors, looking for year‑over‑year increases, round dollar amounts and payments just below the $50,000 threshold that triggers board approval.

The audit identified three vendors with findings: True North Professional Learning LLC, Resources for Learning LLC, and Ridgeview Systems LLC. Weaver said True North — a consulting firm established by Dr. Torres and paid about $138,000 in fiscal 2019 — was affiliated with other district staff and that another consulting firm linked to the same parties was marketed to other districts. Weaver identified a sole‑source contract awarded to Resources for Learning in October 2023 to evaluate the district’s DAEP program for about $30,000; the contract included a second deliverable described in the audit as a “promotional story” featuring Youth Unlimited, a nonprofit founded by former board member Richard Franklin III. Weaver reported four payments totaling $30,105 to that vendor and said the contract was not taken to the board because it was under the $50,000 threshold.

Weaver also reported that Ridgeview Systems — paid $49,700 in fiscal 2023 under a memorandum of understanding to provide services to the district’s early college/P‑TECH campus — listed the same address as a district employee. Weaver said required background checks for contractors who would be on campus and accessing data do not appear to have been performed in 2022–23 and that the vendor’s owner, JD Eubank, had a prior criminal record that included an offense related to a computer security breach at another district.

The audit outlined broader financial and administrative observations, including $136 million in federal funds and grants across 20 funds over a six‑year period; roughly $18 million (about 13%) of those expenditures were reclassified from the general fund to federal accounts as year‑end adjustments, and a little over half of federal spending (~$70 million) was for salaries and benefits. Weaver recommended the board consult legal counsel on whether certain salary payments and bond‑fund uses were allowable, to tighten procurement and sole‑source approvals, require contractor background checks for access to district systems, digitize accounts‑payable records and standardize human‑resources procedures for hiring, compensation‑plan revisions and grievance investigations.

CFO Dina told the board that, when she arrived in November, accounts‑payable documentation was still kept in filing cabinets and that the business office has since begun attaching contracts and invoices as payments are made: “When I arrived here in November, our accounts payable team is actually still filing in filing cabinets,” Dina said. She said the district moved to attaching documents in the financial system in January and expected a fuller digitization by fiscal 2025–26.

Board members pressed auditors on whether some invoice sequences looked intentionally split to avoid the $50,000 approval threshold. Weaver confirmed instances where invoices appeared separated and said those arrangements merited attention from the board and counsel. Trustees also discussed procurement rules related to the Texas Education Agency and whether sole‑source purchases over $50,000 require TEA approval; auditors and counsel indicated TEA approval is required for certain sole‑source procurements tied to federal funds and large contracts.

The audit also catalogued several HR irregularities. Weaver said an offer letter for a special education director dated July 10, 2024, was accepted and the employee began onboarding without board approval; the offer was later rescinded after the board raised the issue. The audit described an “administrator substitute” position created in October 2023 and filled without board approval; Weaver said the hire — Ray Prentice — received roughly $39,000 from November 2023 through June 2024 for that role and that email records did not show interviews despite a listed 19 applicants. The audit noted the reassignment of a high‑school band director in March 2023 without clear board notice; the employee resigned before the end of the school year.

Weaver’s presentation and the board’s discussion produced specific, operational recommendations: update and document standard operating procedures in HR, require contractor background checks before system or campus access, digitize invoice and contract records in Skyward, evaluate whether an integration between Skyward and TalentEd is cost‑effective, and review bond‑planning transparency and real‑estate delegation to the superintendent.

After a closed session under Texas Government Code 551.071 and 551.074, the board returned to open session and voted to accept the audit. Secretary Guadagn moved to accept the financial and human‑resources forensic audits “as presented”; Vice President Ladezma Woodie seconded the motion, and the board approved it by voice and show of hands (motion passed 8–0 in the open‑session tally).

Votes at a glance
- Accept forensic audits (financial and HR): motion by Secretary Guadagn; second by Vice President Ladezma Woodie; outcome: approved (8–0 at vote time). The motion’s language: “I move that we accept the financial and human resources forensic audit as presented.”
- Approve superintendent’s recommendation to hire Risha Wang as Ojeda Middle School principal: motion moved by Secretary Guadagn; second by Trustee Pantoja; outcome: approved (7–0).
- Approve superintendent’s recommendation to hire Kristen Gillespie as Dailey Middle School principal: motion moved by Secretary Guadagn; second by Trustee Pantoja; outcome: approved (7–0).

What happens next
Weaver told the board it will submit a final report the following day. Auditors recommended legal review of the procurement and payment findings and that the board oversee implementation of the HR and records‑management fixes now underway in the business and HR offices. The board indicated there may be further action items to follow as staff and counsel review the audit’s findings.

(Reporting note: article draws exclusively from the Del Valle ISD special board meeting and the Weaver forensic audit presentation recorded April 30, 2025.)