The DeKalb County Board of Education late Monday approved the hiring of an outside auditor to evaluate how the district spent more than $1 billion in sales tax revenue.
The district will pay up to $761,000 to the Michigan-based Plante Moran, PLLC for the audit.
Voters in DeKalb have approved an additional penny sales tax every five years since 1997. The education special purpose local option sales tax, or E-SPLOST, funds capital improvements like new construction and technology upgrades.
The audit will evaluate spending from E-SPLOST IV and V — the 10-year period between 2012 and 2022. The tax brought the district more than $1 billion during that period of time.
The audit will take roughly six months to complete, officials said. It will evaluate “all spending areas,” including capital equipment purchases, construction projects and vendor contracts, to determine whether the district is in compliance with state and local laws and board policies.
“I’m very happy about this. This is a really big deal,” said board member Anna Hill. “I know it will take some time, but I’m really pleased.”
Board members have repeatedly asked for the audit. The board voted earlier this year to fire Cheryl Watson-Harris from her role as superintendent in part over concerns about how the district was spending money. The district’s facilities spending has been in the spotlight this year after the Georgia Department of Education intervened over poor conditions at Druid Hills High School.
DeKalb is also in the midst of transitioning to a new computer system for tracking finances, purchases and human resources. The implementation has been repeatedly delayed, and the use of multiple systems during that process has led to some discrepancies in the district’s finances. The district previously hired Plante Moran, PLLC, to help evaluate the process of implementing this new system.
“It’s really past due,” said board member Joyce Morley about the audit.
Last month, the board hired a separate auditor to evaluate its spending of federal pandemic aid. The district will pay up to $877,000 for that evaluation.
About the Author
