School board votes against forming committee to inspect district spending
–At their Tuesday night meeting, the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees voted 6-1 against forming a citizens committee to study financial dealings of the district over the previous five fiscal years. Chris Bausch, who introduced the proposal, cast the lone vote in favor of the proposal.
Before the vote, board members and speakers from the public weighed in on the proposal. Several people stated that the Board of Trustees is a citizens oversight committee and it should perform that function. Others suggested that the board would be better served by a forensic audit to look at how money was spent over the past five years. Superintendent Curt Dubost estimated that a thorough audit would cost the district $30-50,000.
Trustee Chris Arend said that he was angry at the mismanagement by the previous superintendent. Trustee Tim Gearhart said he supports an independent audit. Trustee Stephanie Ulibarri said $30-50,000 is a lot of money to spend in light of the district’s current budget crisis. She said an audit is not necessary.
Berkeley Baker, a local resident, told the board that there is still no trust in the district. He said, “Too many people who were responsible for the budget debacle are still sitting there.”
The board agreed to put the audit proposal on the next agenda. They could not take action on a proposed audit before the public is notified about the discussion. So, the proposal to engage an accounting firm to conduct a thorough audit will come back before the board at the next meeting.
The board also received an update on progress at Bauer Speck temporary portable campus. Assistant superintendent Carol Kenyon said the campus has a new playground, and another one will be built.
Jennifer Gaviola gave a report on an ongoing effort to reduce vaping at the high school. About 50 people attended Tuesday’s board meeting, most left after the decision against forming a citizens committee to investigate the previous five fiscal years.
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