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VOL 7 No. 4
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2014
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
FBISD eliminates Internal Audit Department By SESHADRI KUMAR Fort Bend ISD board of trustees has decided to eliminate the Internal Audit Department and all positions in the department. The board voted on the recommendation of the audit committee comprising Trustees Susan Hohnbaum, Bruce Albright and Grayle James at the Jan. 13 meeting. Board President Jim Rice alone voted against the proposal. The audit committee evaluated the future needs for audit services and decided to hire outside firms to do the audit, Hohnbaum said. The district spends about $250,000 a year on the internal audit department, but the board has not seen any productive work from the department. Though the internal audit department is being eliminated, the internal audit process is not eliminated, Hohnbaum said. “This is something we could manage ourselves. We will be doing it ourselves and outside audit firms will work with us,” she said. The audit committee desired that there should be continuity in the committee, meaning the same members should continue for a reasonable period, but the committee has not yet come to any conclusion on how to accomplish the continuity. Hohnbaum said the board should be more engaged in the audit process. In spring, the audit committee will come with a summary on how the process worked and if that did not work well, the board can find another alternative, she said. Elimination of the internal audit department requires a policy revision and that item will be considered by the board in February. The Texas Comptroller’s school performance report pointed out in 2001 that FBISD failed in having a meaningful Internal Audit department. Subsequently, the district strengthened the department. In 2006, the internal audit department produced eight reports, in 2007, nine reports, in
2008, four reports, in 2009 four reports, in 2010, three ports and in 2011, three reports. There was one audit report in 2012 and in 2013, two reports. The school district website says: “Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization’s operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes.” Fort Bend Independent School District Internal Audit Department has a procedures handbook, which says: “The concept of accountability for public resources is key in Fort Bend Independent School District’s governing process. Texas state legislators, government officials, and taxpayers want to know whether school district services are being provided efficiently, effectively, economically, and in compliance with laws and regulations. They also want to know whether district programs are achieving their objectives and desired outcomes, and at what cost, managers are accountable to the public for their activities and related results. The district’s Internal Audit Department is a key element in fulfilling the district’s duty to be accountable. Auditing infuses confidence in reports on the results of school district programs or operations, as well as in the related systems of internal control.”
Chequered history Fort Bend ISD’s Internal Audit Director Tina Worrel, whose critical internal audit reports highlighted the shortcomings in various departments of the school district in the past, causing a political upheaval, abruptly quit, for unspecified reasons, this newspaper reported on April 23, 2008. Then FBISD’s Chief Communications Officer Mary Ann Simpson confirmed that Worrel resigned on March 24 voluntarily, but she denied the
suggestion that Worrel and Superintendent Timothy Jenney had disagreement over the time frame for compliance with the internal audit reports. In 2005 and 2006, the then school board took the internal audit reports seriously and one of the reports alleged irregularities, implicating then superintendent Betty Baitland and Associated Superintendent of Business and Finance Charles Dupre (now superintendent.) Both denied any wrongdoing and shortly left the district. In 2004, when information about the internal audit reports became public, the district initially declined to release them. An internal audit report on risk management, for example, was sought by this writer at that time. The school district attorney said portions of the report are confidential and cannot be disclosed. He referred the open records request to the attorney general. In November 2005, the attorney general ruled that Fort Bend ISD cannot keep confidential certain portions of the internal audit report of the risk management department. By this time, Fort Bend County District Attorney John Healey had received a complaint regarding alleged violations of the Open meetings Act by the school board, with reference to the internal audit reports. In May 2007, Healey concluded that the FBISD did not comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act in 2003-05, but ruled out criminal prosecution. “There is compelling evidence that several of the audits were improperly presented in executive session, under the theory that they related to personnel matters,” Healey said. Healey said safeguards were now in place to ensure heightened compliance by the FBISD board with the Texas Open Meetings Act. FBISD promoted senior auditor Michele Forward as director of internal audit in January 2013. Forward joined the district in 2012. (See Page 4)
School district spends $2,200 a day to transport “homeless” students By SESHADRI KUMAR The number of “homeless students” attending Fort Bend ISD schools may be shocking to many. More shocking may be the fact that the school district spends an average of $2,200 a day to transport the students from wherever they are, as far away as in Tomball or Pearland. This is due to the MckInneyVento Homeless Education Assistance Act, an unfunded mandate by the Federal government. Currently, FBISD has 549 students who are legally determined to be “homeless.” Of these, 13 students live in cars, 15 live in hotels, 56 are in shelters, 63 have been without parents, meaning they are kicked out and 402 are in transition, (not in dual residency.) The law requires the school district to provide the transportation wherever the homeless students live because, their last
attendance before becoming homeless decides their home school district. On August 26, 2013, FBISD entered into an agreement with American Logistics Company to test a cost effective transportation alternative for students covered under the McKinneyVento Homeless Education Assistance Act. The company uses minivans and utility vehicles to provide transportation for individuals and small groups of students. The pilot program began October 29, 2013, to determine the reliability and effectiveness of the vendor. The vendor is currently transporting approximately 25-35 students per day and has performed as promised. At the current rate of spending, the district will reach the Board purchasing approval threshold by mid-January 2014. The average daily cost of ALC’s service is approximate-
ly $1,200 - $2,000, depending on the number of riders and the distance of the trips. ALC’s cost is comparable to FBISD’s in-house cost, so staff believes utilizing a contractor for this particular activity would be budget neutral. By contracting for the transportation of FBISD’s homeless students, the transportation department is able to reduce wear and tear on district vehicles and to redirect man power and equipment for higher impact transportation activities such as regular student routes and field trips. The district requested approval to continue the program with an annual cost not to exceed $396,000 (180 Days X $2,200). This amount will provide a contingency in the event that more students must be served. The board unanimously approved the request after ascertaining the details of the program.
Six flags over Texas
Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra violinists Gloribelle Kelly and Daniel Hung show their Texas spirit as they prepare for the Six Flags Over Texas concert on Sunday, Feb. 2. See Page 3.
Local GOP activists recognized The Republican Party of Fort Bend County hosted its annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner at Safari Texas on Jan. 10. Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the featured speaker. Texas GOP Chairman Steve Munisteri, Congressman Pete Olson and the senior Texas Senator John Cornyn were among the dozens of state and local elected officials and Republican Party candidates who attended the dinner. Cruz made President Barack Obama’s “attack on Liberty and the Bill of Rights” as the central theme of his speech and enumerated the President’s “pattern of rampant lawlessness.” Cruz said President Obama’s administration disrespected religious rights, adamantly opposed the right to bear arms, won’t implement immigration laws and provided exemptions to Congress from Obamacare laws. If the President can pick and choose laws and implement parts of it, then “Liberty is under attack,” he said “Income inequality has increased dramatically under President Obama’s administration. Restoring jobs and economic growth are my priorities,” Cruz said. “American people have stood their ground. We are winning this war. 2014 will be a phenomenal year for the Republicans. We will stand for Liberty and the Constitution,” Cruz told the cheering crowd. After the introduction of elected officials by Mike Gibson, Fort Bend GOP chairman, County Judge Bob Hebert and Rosenberg Mayor Vincent Morales presented the Jim Adolphus Award and the Maureen Thode Award, respectively. The Adolphus Award recipient for 2013 was Robert Garcia. He was part of a group that formed a new organization focused on growing the party, the Hispanic Republicans of Texas Fort Bend Chapter, and is its first chairman. He helped organize through HRT and working with Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, donating air conditioners to seniors who do not have them and a health fair which saved the life of a resident of Rosenberg.
Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert, left, Robert Garcia, Jim Adolphus Award recipient and Fort Bend GOP Chairman Mike Gibson. Adolphus was a former Fort Bend County Judge.
Rosenberg Mayor Vincent Morales, left, Maureen Thode award recipient Danielle Settles and Fort Bend GOP Chair Mike Gibson. Garcia did this while holding both the office of Chief of Police and City Manager in Rosenberg. The Maureen Thode Award for Executive Committee member for 2013 went to Danielle Settles. Settles first accepted the Committee Chair for Outreach, leading early plans for growing the party.
When resignations required shuffling the leadership, she agreed to chair the Communications Committee working to make many critical changes necessary to continue the growth of the party including a new website which has gone live now, getting more timely updates to the party calendar, and designing the new logo.
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