TUSD may get internal auditor, continue to block charters

For over a year, at the request of members of the public and the plaintiffs in the desegregation case, Tucson Unified School District Governing Board member Mark Stegeman has been trying to get his fellow Board members to consider the hiring of an internal auditor. According to Stegeman in his latest constituent newsletter, he might be on the verge of success.

According to Stegeman, “At the December 12 board meeting Cam Juarez agreed to meet with him “to work out a compromise on the language for an internal auditor policy. This meeting occurred on Monday and produced a breakthrough: we reached a compromise. The district’s general counsel was present and has drafted and sent to the board language representing that agreement, for action and hopefully approval at Tuesday’s meeting.”

“It is not anyone’s most preferred policy (I accepted most of Juarez’s December 12 language), but it will get the job done. The biggest sticking point, evident also in the public discussion, was who would screen and select the candidates for the position,” wrote Stegeman. “The compromise is that a nine-member committee, with four members appointed by the superintendent and one appointed by each board member; will send two candidates to the board, with the board choosing between the two.”

Superintendent Sanchez and Board President Adelita Grijalva, and their rubber-stamp Board members, Juarez, and Kristal Foster have refused to consider an internal auditor that reports to anyone but Sanchez. The highly questionable demand is contrary to recommendations by external experts that the auditor report directly to the Governing Board.

“This agreement is an important moment for the board because it resolves an issue that has been pending for at least six years and reaches across the “majority” and “minority” lines that have defined so many votes for the past two years,” wrote Stegeman.

An internal auditor is a risky proposition for the Grijalva-Sanchez controlled District. Morale is low among the staff, and from accounting practices to social promotion the District is disarray. However, there is considerable interest by those who benefit from the corruption in the District to prop it up while it continues to lose students.

Just last week, after Arizona’s new Governor Doug Ducey announced that closed public school properties should be made available to charter schools, the Tucson City Council agreed to consider helping the District avoid competition from charter school entities. On Wednesday, the Council will consider offering to fast-track development of the properties to developers and other non-charter school related buyers.

The City will consider offering to possible buyers:
•Three-day plan reviews. The current standard is up to 20 days for a review.
•Defer building permit and impact fees until the final inspection of a project.
•Assign a project manager to oversee that the process is running smoothly.

Since the beginning of TUSD large enrollment decline, the District has refused to allow charter schools use the properties. This refusal has led to great hardships for parents who either wanted, or financial reasons needed nearby neighborhood schools.