A member of the Christina Board of Education calls for more transparency from the district when it comes to finances.
Board member Shannon Troncoso proposed the district pursue a forensic audit earlier this month, citing taxpayer uncertainty and concern following property reassessment and the board’s decision to increase its tax rate by 10 percent.
Troncoso said she has concerns about some of the district’s spending, citing as an example a contract for self-assessment and coaching.
“That there cost the taxpayer $6,000 this month. That contract is $90,000 a year," she said. "Every day I check my inbox, there's somebody talking about how their life is going to be impacted with the recent tax increase.”
While other members seemed cool towards a forensic audit, they were open to making the district’s spending more transparent.
Board president Monica Moriak suggested making data from the district’s regular audits easier to find online. Board member Amy Trauth noted the district would soon have a survey on the district’s return on investment.
“Rather than just looking at a spreadsheet and making inferences about the value of the total dollar amount, we're actually attaching student outcomes to that spending," Trauth said.
Board members took no concrete action but agreed to continue discussions.
