Former parent urges forensic audit, alleges misuse of bond funds at Pomona Unified

Claudia Cano, identifying herself as a former parent, asked the Pomona Unified School District Board on Nov. 7 to order an independent forensic audit of the district’s capital facilities and bonding practices.

Cano said she represents “the affected and the voiceless” and warned of legal and fiscal consequences she associated with misuse of bond funds. "We are concerned about the mismanagement and incompetence of capital facilities maintenance and operations department," she said. She urged the board to seek assistance from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and a scribe management assistance team to examine the district's fiscal practices.

Cano cited public records she said show a contract award to Southern Industries for $67 million covering HVAC, lighting and an energy master plan at multiple sites and she questioned whether that work had been inspected or integrated into the district’s facilities master plan. She asked the board to "stop rushing to sell surplus properties" and to consider a full forensic audit because, she said, alleged shortcomings had affected services for students with disabilities and compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

What the district addressed: Board members did not take action on the public comment during the study session; staff proceeded to present the Measure UU conceptual project list. Trustees and staff later discussed the need for transparency, cross‑referencing consolidation recommendations before investing in sites, and for providing follow‑up reports on prior contracts and expenditures.

Attribution: The assertions about contract amounts, alleged misuse and requests for a forensic audit are attributable to Claudia Cano’s public comments during the Nov. 7 meeting. The district did not record an immediate staff response to the forensic‑audit request in this meeting’s transcript.