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Friday, November 20, 2009
School District Audits Reveal Waste
By Martin Salazar
Journal Staff Writer
During last month's special session, teacher unions and other education proponents pleaded for no cuts to education, saying schools couldn't afford them.
On Thursday, the state Legislative Finance Committee released a performance audit of five school districts revealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable expenses and a finding that more money for schools doesn't necessarily equate to success in the classroom.
"Increased spending does not appear to guarantee higher or improved student performance, based on an analysis of five years of spending and achievement data for medium-sized school districts," the audit states.
The performance audit focused on the medium-sized districts of Aztec, Bernalillo, Bloomfield, Las Vegas City and West Las Vegas.
Among the findings:
n The Bernalillo district bought a $91,000 tow truck it didn't need at the end of the 2007-08 school year. It sold the truck in less than a year to another district at a $16,000 loss. It also bought three sport utility vehicles from an out-of-state company for $112,000, apparently spending more than if it had used the New Mexico price list to make the purchase. Lawmakers blasted the district for not spending the money in New Mexico at a time when automobile dealers are struggling. The district said it was misled on the purchases by its former transportation director, who is no longer with the district and who has been indicted for embezzlement.
n Oversight of credit card use at Aztec, Bloomfield and Bernalillo was lacking, resulting in questionable expenditures. Last school year, Bloomfield spent about $370,000 on credit card purchases, Aztec spent more than $324,000 and Bernalillo spent about $52,000.
n Bloomfield's former superintendent charged $16,000 last year on district credit cards. The Aztec district spent $1,470 on iPods and $40 gift cards from Lowe's as rewards for students and staff.
n Bloomfield used a special legislative appropriation to buy $11,178 worth of iPods and accessories, although the audit didn't say what the purchase was for.
n West Las Vegas spent $240,000 for energy management consultant services that it could have received free from the state. The district contends the savings have covered the cost.
n West Las Vegas was also criticized for exceeding the recommended number of custodians and maintenance staff by 12 full-time positions, costing around $382,000. Superintendent Jim Abreu said he's skeptical about that finding and has asked for more information.
Members of the LFC hammered school administrators at Thursday's hearing and even asked that the audit be forwarded to the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and others lobbying for education for their response.
Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said the findings are "very frustrating," particularly at a time when the state is eyeing tax increases in order to balance its budget.
Education Secretary Veronica Garcia said she plans to propose several legislative reforms to Gov. Bill Richardson. Among them is requiring local school boards to establish a finance committee for greater financial oversight, with members receiving annual training. The Albuquerque school board already has such a committee.
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