Right now, if a local school board enters into an agreement with a group or program to use state funds, the state board of education has no way to audit if those funds are being used in the way they’re intended.
“The state board has no trail down to find out where that money is going,” says Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan. “The state board can go to that entity, but they’ll say their contract is with the local board, so they can’t disclose any information.”
Hillyard’s SB91 provides a way for the state board to see how the money is being spent. Plus it adds some teeth if the local boards don’t comply.
“If a local district doesn’t give their reports on time, then the state board can hold back the money. We need to be able to get those reports together so the state board can allocate money.”
Hillyard says the proposal has been agreed to by everyone involved.
“Some of the groups were worried we might dig too deep,” says Hillyard. “But we’re not interested in who is taking coffee breaks and such. We just need to get things together so the state board can feel comfortable allocating money.”
