Arizona school district misspent $500,000 on travel expenses, agrees to changes

(The Center Square) – An Arizona Auditor General report found wasteful spending at a school district on the Tohono O’Odham Nation Reservation south of Tucson.

Most notably, the report said the district spent $500,000 on travel expenses intended for “training and conferences” even though the upsides of the spending might have been dubious. In addition, the district did not maintain proper transportation documents, “lacked important internal controls” to prevent financial abuse, wasteful spending and fraud, help board meetings outside of town and had Information Technology security vulnerabilities.

“District spent approximately $342,000 sending staff to a 2-day out-of-State professional development conference and did not ensure expenditures were approved, supported, and in accordance with the State Constitution’s gift clause,” the report stated. 

There were 26 recommendations made in total, with many including more policies to be created and utilized, have legal counsel look into the laws behind public meetings and more rigorous financial oversight.

The superintendent said they will take up the recommendations made by the auditor general’s office. 

“The District’s administration and Governing Board is committed to implementing the recommendations provided and will continue to work on improving the systems in place to reinforce processes and procedures,” Superintendent Ruben Diaz wrote in a letter to Auditor General Lindsey Perry earlier this month. 

Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, said in a statement on Tuesday that the report, along with a recent Goldwater Institute report on Phoenix Elementary School District Governing Board, are “troubling” and “further erodes public trust.”

“These education dollars should not be used on lavish trips and conferences, especially when we are dealing with a teacher crisis and are told that districts don’t have the dollars necessary to raise salaries,” he stated.