by Andrew Powell
A recent follow-up audit from the Florida Auditor General’s office found several issues with the Lee County School District’s lack of oversight.
According to the audit, the school district had failed to properly investigate claims of alleged unemployment benefit fraud during the spring of 2020. The audit states that the district’s board and the superintendent were emailed about the alleged fraud but failed to produce evidence that the matter had been properly investigated externally and resolved. In response to the audit, the school district began an investigation in February 2023.
The audit also found that as of January, the school district had not completed the state-required mental health and assistance training for at least 71 percent of its employees. The school district was allocated $3.9 million in public funds to establish this training.
In response to the audit, the school district said delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic had slowed employee training. Further, only 8 percent of the district’s non-instructional employees had completed the state-required ethical conduct training.
State law requires that distinct school boards and the superintendent partner with local law enforcement to establish more safe-school officers, while school resource officers are required to undertake mental health awareness training.
The audit showed that as of April, the school district had only provided training documentation for 13 of the 15 school safety officers. The school district relied on law enforcement agencies to ensure safety officers have completed the required training.
Florida law requires that district school boards obtain internal audit services. It was found that the district school board had not used an organizationally independent auditor for the period of July 2021 through to February 2022, contrary to International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.
The school district had also failed to competitively enter into contracts with vendors, while minutes for board meetings were not always timely and approved, which violates the state’s open meetings law.
Lastly, the audit found that six district employees had been granted unnecessary and/or inappropriate IT user access privileges, which increased the risk of a breach of human resources and finance information.
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Andrew Powell is a contributor to The Center Square.
