County superintendent: FCMAT extraordinary audit finds no evidence of fraud; community disputes conclusions

Summary

The Santa Clara County superintendent presented findings from an extraordinary FCMAT audit that found insufficient evidence of fraud or misappropriation; many community speakers and some trustees said the findings did not resolve questions about appropriateness of prior spending and called for ongoing reforms and transparency.

The Santa Clara County superintendent of schools presented the findings of the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) extraordinary audit and said the county concluded there was insufficient evidence to indicate fraud or illegal fiscal practices.

The announcement came during the Mountain View Whisman School District board meeting, where the county superintendent, Dr. David Austin, told trustees and the public that FCMAT found no evidence requiring further legal action and that the county office will continue to support the district as it implements administrative improvements.

The finding is significant because it closes the county'level extraordinary-audit process established to examine district fiscal concerns. "After a thorough review, FCMAT has determined that insufficient evidence exists to indicate that fraud, misappropriation of funds, and or assets, or other illegal fiscal practices may have occurred," Austin said. He acknowledged cooperation from district staff, past employees and community members and praised district leadership for acting on lessons from the audit.

Why the audit matters: community trust and governance

The nut graf: The audit clears…

County superintendent: FCMAT extraordinary audit finds no evidence of fraud; community disputes conclusions

Summary

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