San Dieguito board accepts audit of school foundations, orders implementation plan and MOUs after public outcry

The San Dieguito Union High School District Board of Trustees voted Aug. 7 to accept independent audits of the district’s four school foundations and to direct the superintendent to prepare a detailed implementation plan addressing the auditors’ recommendations, including draft memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to formalize reporting and oversight.

John Dominguez of audit firm CWDL told the board the firm issued unmodified audit opinions for La Costa, San Dieguito Academy and Torrey Pines foundations, and a modified opinion for the Canyon Crest Academy Foundation (CCA) because a calculation of in‑kind contributions was missing from CCA’s financial reporting. “We did render an unmodified opinion on the financial statements for La Costa, Sandegito, and Torrey Pines, and we did modify our opinion on the financials for Canyon Crest Academy,” Dominguez said.

The board’s vote followed hours of public comment and a large number of speakers — including two Canyon Crest students whose research prompted the audit — who urged immediate reforms. “Implement the recommendations of the auditors. The MOU to establish clear financial reporting guidelines is a must,” one student told…