(Except that we don't have a Grand Jury that will investigate the illegal fees that our children are routinely charged to attend public school and so the illegal fees continue here. And we don't have a Grand Jury that will investigate inappropriate uses of student funds.)
voiceofsandiego.org/education
A county grand jury report released today criticizes San Diego Unified schools for misusing more than $100,000 meant for student government, instead spending it on school supplies, equipment and things that benefit faculty, such as a Christmas party for employees. The problems were originally uncovered in internal school district audits.
Such money is meant for extra activities, not the basics that schools are supposed to supply. The report states that the problem is widespread: Roughly 75 percent of schools audited by school district investigators had misused the funds, including the School for Creative and Performing Arts, Hoover High, Longfellow Elementary, McKinley Elementary, Mission Bay High and Washington Elementary.
The grand jury, a volunteer citizen group that investigates local governments, recommended San Diego Unified require more training for principals, vice principals, financial clerks and student government advisors to ensure they have checks and balances to track and control how money is spent. It also advised the school district to increase its auditing staff.
The report also noted a number of other problems in the school system: Schools are still charging fees for supplies, equipment and uniforms, violating state law, which prohibits schools for charging students for activities...
Not only fees charged to students, but also those schools that have cell tower funds coming in. Those funds are not held accountable to anyone and is considered discretionary. How is that money spent at each school? Does anyone know?
ReplyDeleteJennifer Kerchaert