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Audit committee: 43 outstanding bond‑audit recommendations; board policy revision may be needed first
Summary
Chair Patty Sullivan told the audit committee that bond auditors identified 23 new recommendations in Year 6 plus 20 prior‑year items still open (43 total). Sullivan proposed referring implementation follow‑up to the committees with subject expertise and said the board should revisit its Equity in Public Purchasing and Contracting policy so OSM can act on policy‑dependent recommendations.
Chair Patty Sullivan reported to the audit committee that the most recent bond performance audit (Year 6) included 23 recommendations and that auditors identified 20 additional recommendations from prior years that remain unimplemented, for a total of 43 outstanding items.
Sullivan singled out a Year 3 recommendation that instructs the Board to revisit its Equity in Public Purchasing and Contracting policy and to clarify the district’s approach to business equity; she said OSM (Office of School Modernization) cannot fully implement five related recommendations until the board affirms updated policy language.
To accelerate implementation, Sullivan and Janice Hanson proposed that the audit committee recommend to the full board that the specific outstanding items be followed up by the committees that have subject‑matter expertise — for example, Facilities for construction/program matters, Policy for policy‑related items, and the Bond Accountability Committee for technical program oversight — with periodic check‑ins to the audit committee to ensure progress.
"What it appears like now is that OSM is not implementing the recommendations, when it's actually we as the Board that needs to revisit our policy first," Sullivan said. Several committee chairs indicated willingness to accept responsibility for follow‑up and suggested quarterly reporting back to audit committee would be useful.
Sullivan also noted that the district’s contract with the external bond auditors expires in 2026 and that the committee will need to participate in the RFP selection panel for next‑cycle procurement.
Next steps: Sullivan will consult with the board chair about extending the current audit‑committee membership through July to receive the bond‑audit presentation and will prepare a recommendation to the full board that follow‑up responsibilities be assigned to relevant committees with periodic audit‑committee oversight.
