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External audits flag HR recordkeeping, technology gaps and procurement delays at Leander ISD
Summary
Gibson Consulting presented two audits to the Leander ISD board identifying 13 HR findings (six high priority) — including incomplete personnel records, fragmented HR systems and inconsistent pay documentation — and procurement findings that cited slow purchase order workflows, outdated training materials and reliance on vendor contracts.
Gibson Consulting Group presented back-to-back human resources and procurement audits to the Leander Independent School District board on Tuesday, telling trustees the reviews show the district has workable staffing and controls but also several high‑priority improvement opportunities.
Will Hardway, Gibson's executive director of consulting, opened the HR briefing by thanking Leander HR staff and said the audit (August 2025–March 2026) surfaced 13 findings and 6 recommendations the firm classified as high priority. "We identified six high priority recommendations out of the 13 in the report," he said, adding the issues fall into two themes: clearer roles and stronger, more consistent processes.
Gibson said personnel files are spread across departments and formats and that district testing showed "significant gaps in required documentation." The firm recommended a centralized digital personnel file and the creation of a standard operating procedures manual for core HR functions. Gibson also described thinly integrated HR technology: "the district operates 17 HR‑related technology modules across 13 unique systems with nearly half of those system interfaces requiring fully manual data entry," the presentation said.
Trustees used the Q&A that followed to press for timelines and staff communications. One trustee asked whether administration would present a concrete remediation plan; Rachel Mackey, speaking for HR, said the district had already started work and expected an update on deadlines by mid‑July. "Right now we've got one complete and two in progress already," Mackey said, describing immediate priorities and an audit tracking site that administration has published.
The procurement audit, delivered later by Greg Gibson and Shannon Johns of Gibson, praised strong compliance in many tests but flagged operational weaknesses that slow purchasing. The firm found the purchase order approval workflow is fully sequential and that more than half of tested POs took longer than seven days to process; it also reported that many training links in the district's Train Depot were broken or outdated.
Gibson recommended streamlining PO approvals (introducing parallel steps and approval thresholds), instituting district contract templates to reduce vendor review time, strengthening vendor onboarding controls and restructuring the ProCard program to issue cards to frequent individual users rather than broad departmental cards.
Pete Pape and Jennifer Benanzi, district procurement staff, acknowledged the frustrations. Pape said changes already underway include allowing some approvals to run in parallel and tightening use of awarded vendors. "When you use an awarded vendor that is cut, click and go," he said. Jennifer Benanzi said a new procurement website with updated links will go live July 1.
Trustees urged administration to produce a prioritized implementation schedule and to engage staff about changes. Several board members tied the audits to larger budget and compensation conversations, saying improved systems could identify cost savings and free resources for teacher pay. Administration said it would return with timelines and use the new audit‑tracking site to update trustees and the public.
Actionable next steps presented to the board included creating a centralized digital personnel file system, developing HR SOPs, compiling district contract templates with legal counsel, and reconfiguring Munis/ERP workflows to reduce manual steps. Trustees did not take formal action on the audits themselves but directed administration to return with implementation plans and periodic updates.
