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Superintendent addresses Auditor General findings; board approves five-year audit contract
Summary
Board discussed Auditor General findings covering fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23 and heard the superintendents response; trustees then approved a five-year audit contract with CDWL LLC and directed follow-up on AG recommendations.
The Baboquivari Unified School District governing board spent a substantial portion of Tuesday's meeting on a recent Auditor General performance audit and the districts response before approving a new five-year audit contract.
Superintendent Diaz summarized five findings the audit identified for fiscal-year reviews, including (1) roughly $500,000 in out-of-town travel and professional-development activity, (2) instances where board meetings or retreats were not posted or live-streamed, (3) underused school capacity and related facility spending, (4) gaps in internal controls that could increase payment risks, and (5) IT-access deficiencies. "Those were the 5 findings, from the eye or the lens of an auditor," Diaz said, urging the board to treat the audit as a set of recommended changes.
Diaz told trustees the roughly $500,000 the audit flagged was spent on professional development related to student engagement and attendance initiatives, including work modeled on the Ron Clark Academy, and said the spending "did not disappear" from district accounts. He outlined steps the district has taken or will take in response: completing the emergency-operations plan, standardizing school safety teams and backups, requiring FEMA ICS-100 training for personnel with response roles, strengthening fingerprint and conflict-of-interest review procedures and continuing IT remediation. The superintendent said the Auditor Generals office will follow up to ensure the district implements recommendations.
After discussing audit response and timing, the board considered a procurement for the districts annual financial audit. Finance staff said the district issued an RFP for a multi-year engagement and received one responsive bid from CDWL LLC; consultants (Heinfeld & Meech) will remain available as advisors. The board voted to approve a five-year contract with CDWL LLC for fiscal years 2024-2028 and to seek AG office approval as required. The superintendent said the arrangement should help the district get audits back on a regular schedule.
What's next: district staff said the AG office will check follow-up actions and that the superintendent will provide updated implementation timelines for the audit recommendations and evidence of posting/streaming procedures for board meetings.
