School Board Workshop

>> can't just >> Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our SEPTEMBER. Already, SEPTEMBER first 2026 school board workshop. We have a lot on our agenda today. I have no public comment sign up that I'm aware of. And that's ok. So we will go right on to item number 4 on the agenda. 4.1 is the Citizens Financial Audit Committee and we have MISTER Daniels with us, the chair of that committee with cell phone. I will turn it over to you all. >> Good morning, MADAM. CHAIRMAN Members. I understand you've got a very full agenda. So we're gonna try to move right We've been. Within 2 days of our next meeting from the last meeting we've had so this basically tell you, we're going win over the report that you're going to hear from Rsm about and recommend your approval of them. We are looking it some other things as far as the plan for the rest of the year, there got letters put together will be reviewing on Thursday. That as the individual engagement letter for each of the programs, we're going to go into. They'll talk about that likely. Just to tell you what's there. We're going to be hopefully hearing on the status of the JUNE 30th audit from purpose. Gray. And then see what we can do to help move that long. Other than that, we'll be talking about that recurring issue of. Post reviews and trying to have some type organized protocol to follow up on those. We've been going back and forth just put some timelines in place. If you that's what we'll be there. Probably going to involve if it hits a certain length out. We're going to ask the superintendent or her representatives to come tell you about it. You just keep because it from what I've seen in my years here now it's going out that long are usually a good reason. But we need to hear from them. With that. I'm going to be quiet. I want to introduce Jack and they're going to take over. She's going to step over here and take Yeah, Well, it certainly makes you want >> Hello, everyone. I you again. Good morning to Good Okay. So like Jim just mentioned will be walking through the 2 reports today. Payroll in compensation and maintenance. These 2 reports are the final internal audit engagement for fiscal year. 26. So at the conclusion of today, our next steps are to start focusing on what comes next. And all briefly mentioned after Jack walking through payroll, which I'll bring up onto the screen and I'll hand it over to Jack. >> Perfect. Good morning, everyone. Good morning the microphone is working. So start with our payroll in compensation, internal audit put upon them. >> We can place or in the background checks on all this. And know that As an operational audit, we do provide a background section. Each of our reports have backgrounds intended let the reader understand in a little bit more depth. The complexities nature. >> The overall processes that are involved in the payroll in compensation procedures here at the district. It's informational. It's intended to provide a little bit of background to the actual internal audit port. In terms of what did we do? We did a number of things as it relates to the evaluation of the design and effectiveness of some of those processes. In the intro controlled environment, we looked at the process is related to employee salary approval, including challenge for both new employees and salary adjustments for existing employees. We looked at the monitoring and reporting processes related to payroll and compensation. We did detailed testing on a temple, 60 transactions across 30 distinct employees that included both hourly and salaried employees. We looked at the supporting documentation agreeing to to source documents reconciling act. The system reviewing actual payments made over time. And we also look at statements and supplements across much as well. You'll know we did not have any reportable observations as it relates to this report across our testing. So wonderful story to be able to tell their. We did have one process improvement opportunity. The district has really incorporated a lot of automation and system capabilities as it relates the payroll function. There was a new vendor brought in to support the people staff system over the summer. With that new vendor coming in, maybe some fresh eyes on the system. We know it's been around for a while and there's been a lot of work that's gone into it. We feel that there MAY be an opportunity to continue to enhance that automation environment across the system. Our process improvement opportunity talks about the currently performed manually procedures of validating employee changes verification of supplemental pay. It is worth management consideration. Should the resources and time be available explore that automation in those final remaining manual pieces. But overall, very pleased with the results, a testament to management's commitment to very structured controlled process. There. Any questions is really it's up here on compensation. Either pass our scope of work or the results. I don't see new outrageous. Had someone up in here see who wants >> MR. Tatum. >> Thank you for your work. I'm not sure who could maybe this question. But you know, systems out there are products that you recommend to us to help all it. These. Processes that you're concerned about being done manually. >> I one of the reasons we categorize it as a process improvement opportunities and there's nothing inherently wrong with how things are being done those capabilities. MAY be k possibility within the existing system. There was certainly have to be integration with the people soft And so I don't necessarily off the top my head. I have an example of a specific product, but I can certainly value 8, some of those options and see if we have examples of what has been used automate some of those processes across our other clients are around the state. Off the top my head. I'm not sure it's something that's commonly done. So I think the district would be an industry leader in that full automation. If it's possible. >> Rose and thoughts on automating some of of I know I make human. There's only a little quick and at home in and the thing we can automate. Any thoughts on the yet? >> No, I agree any time that you Take out the chance for human error. Not only that, just the savings of time with your staff putting in annually would be a benefit. The payroll team has already started to look at this. They received this. So anything they're able to. Take away from the manual and plant. It's something they might be able to do. I know is as you all recall, we have a new service provider that we brought in starting this summer. And so some of those process improvements have been in conversation with anything as important as payroll, which is probably the most important thing that we do on a regular basis. We would want to practice something before we roll it out. Full scam. So that'll be a part of them. The procedures. I right in saying that you had conversations about this and yeah, and what we would be looking at the cost effectiveness to deceive but would be implemented. >> Like some of these things annual their unique compensation strategies. You Mike MAY be extra pay for duty. That kind of a thing. That's not something that's then already formulated into the system integrated into the system already. So we would look at at the benefits of being able to figure out how and the need to be able to. Create that modification to see if it. Fit within that priorities or like he had said the manual might be the more cost effective or efficient use of time. But will that we're definitely looking into that because it would. But if this, if it's Adam and you still have to check, it's automated, that kind of a thing, any improvement in the efficiency of time. But the labor is definitely beneficial. >> Understand all those things come with a cost the cost benefit analysis. Okay. Great. Thank you looking So I. >> Just from my experience in peril from. Time. Cards being punched, dot clock. And that's the truth to counting every hour to the quarter. Our to the U.S. Some even to the. Hour. We've come a long way and the payroll I don't think that we ever go to 100% automated. There's just no way just from emergencies that come up people need to take off. Leave of absence or or sickness or family issue. There's just no way you could ever on a mate payroll 100%. So I would never expect that there's always going to be a job in payroll adjustments that have to be done manually. You just can't scan your badge and say here just my time I believe that capability of doing that wouldn't be an option either sell. We can get as automated as we want. But there's always going to be a human behind the same fixing those even automated errors. So I I commend what we do right now. It's gone a long way from when I first started paying attention peril. Probably 8 years ago, 10 years ago to where we are now. So I. I think whatever they found very minimal. The was. 6, 8, years ago. So anyway, thank you. I just wanted to put that in MR. Kennedy. >> Get real Quick. Thank you, MADAM Chair. Just want to follow up on superintendent presence comment just as a reminder that we did switch providers to metaphor over the summer. And just anecdotally, I thank the board for making that going through that process and making that change approved change just anecdotally tickets are getting turned around faster. You know, just the whole the whole process is moving a lot clearer. And MADAM Chair, to your point with. The number of employees, we have the number of employee calendars we you know, hopefully in an upcoming meeting here will be approving the. The the contracts for ar Perez and things like that have to be gone in and you it's as you said, it's just not words. Probably never going to the full automation, but but we're definitely closer now than we were a year ago. So I should say where. Things are running a lot smoother than they were a year ago. So that's a step in the right direction. And that's a credit to the team up there. >> And your point, if I can dialogue every year. There's always the bargaining and the changes to the scales and all that nation can under that. If just now wait a little different. Details are a little different. Can take that number. Flip it all the way across The system, the somebody else to put that number in there as Anyway, I commend the payroll department for all of the the hours some headaches, I'm to get through this cycle. So we appreciate you. The maintenance, perfect. That concludes our hearing. Competition report next will be our maintenance work orders. >> Report. Figure book. >> Once U.S. Looks like it's working now to scroll down, then to the executive summary. >> Within the maintenance work order procedures, we evaluated a number of things. We look at the procedures for submitting authorizing work request district-wide, including evaluating which district personnel can initiate work. Order and what information is required actually create a work order and how that flows to system. We looked at the process for prioritizing in assigning were quarter. And so once it's been received, that information collected, how do we triage that the appropriate personnel to get something completed as quickly and that sufficiently as possible? Looked at the utilization of the work order system, internal performance monitoring. So what metrics are holding ourselves accountable to what our performance goals reporting is available to management. We perform detailed testing over a sample of work orders looking at compliance with district policies and procedures. And testing of sorts documents. The scene that bottom right hand corner. We did have 5 total observations, 3 high risk and to moderate risks. Those observations can be categorized across 2 primaries areas. The first is going to be the manual procedures that are performed and the effect that has on the efficiencies to the system. The second will be across the defined expectations. What is our performance standards? How are we documenting the expectations of various personnel district-wide? And Survation 1, 2, 3, really capture that system limitation. There's a lot of paper involved in the process whether collection of receipts, when we have to go out and buy materials for parts. Well, that it's the actual printing of the work order and in and it's information and handing it off to a technician to attach a clipboard in going to cite document their work orders, write things down. Lot of manual entry. That results delays. It MAY result in missing documents the occasional last receipt. And we saw that within our testing. The information that is within the system is relative 8 has incomplete or inaccurate as that information is being input into this system. What is collected if we're not writing something down on those people were quarters. It's not being manually input into the system as a system of record. As a result of that, we do see instances management's ability to monitor overall performance and service expectations is limited because the information just MAY not be there. The system itself doesn't have required fields. So if someone isn't real go-getter, you know, maybe we just MISS Something. It doesn't spit it back at you and say, hey, please make sure we complete everything so that we have it for future reference. That's in line with some of the expectations that we do currently have opportunity to continue to enhance the standard operating procedures. Observation details. These are things that we do. These are things that we expect from our personnel, but we MAY not have that written down as a standard operating procedure to hold ourselves accountable to. The final system capability that has opportunity. And we've seen successfully implemented at other districts is warranty management. Lot of institutional knowledge, a lot of expertise within the maintenance operation here at the district. What we're reliant on to monitor some of these warranties that maybe it's fine to before we go and replace a roof, replace an hvac system. We need to ask ourselves, is this under warranty? And typically that falls into supervisors expertise, I remember having replace. It's just a year ago. It should be under warranty. There's certainly capability to enhance the system to track those things and provide automated updates, whether that's in the preventative maintenance field. So maintaining a roof point. Do we know we need to inspect its a once a year? So having an automated reminder to go do that preventative maintenance to maintain that, won't he is a system capability again that we've seen implemented elsewhere, that the district, his yacht not yet implemented, but we believe we understand to be a capability of the current operating system. Now, those quick summary of all 5 observations. I know it is a packed agenda. Answer, any detailed questions that there MAY be. >> I am a network. Lee. First question. Is just to the superintendent. Some of the southern. He said already have received some of this. >> So >> before I ask any questions, I would ask. Is there anything that has already been started in correcting some of this before? I asked a couple of my questions. Absolutely. I mean, why repeat if you're going to say you're right, right, and thank you for that opportunity. >> And so when you look at the 5 noted findings, I would say that. >> First, we'll all of them could be solved if we had a stronger standard operating procedure, right? So I would say even though that is listed as moderate, it certainly drives this a whole process it needs to be a digital standard operating procedure. And so where we get lost is using an and I understand we have workers out in the fields using the paper because it's easier than dragging a device with you. But that takes away our ability to prioritize and to really track and better monitor all of our systems. So the team has already started working on a standard operating procedure. That is digital that would then contain information related to more intense. Well within that system. So we're not just relying on the knowledge that our people have. And we have a very skilled set of individuals who work on these teams. But we know that systems work better when they have that automated feature to him. And we've also are looking and our strategic plan for a kpi directly tied to this. That would go into Benchmark. 1004.2, an order to really allocate all of our resources effectively. We need to make sure that we're watching that as we do a great job and other systems that we have in the district of maintaining those work orders. I can tell you, Scott Hansen does not lead it. Computer get touched without a reporter and then he's able to tell us what happened. But the result was how many work orders are completed. And that's good data that we need to determine all all of our systems related to technology. And so using what we know is working in one department and transferring it over and training our teams is what I know. MR. Clarke and Missus are already working on to make this a better system. They are not happy. We're not happy with the results that we see here. And so the quest to make it better is already begun and we will make it better. >> One of the so obviously, you know, You answered a couple things for But the one question >> I had is and I know, look. >> Seems like a lot. This is obviously manual labor. Whatever. And I think the digit digital board, they have not patter something like that out there and going through and making sure there's like, you know, the Asterix says you have to fill this portion outright. Think we do all of, you know, with everything filling up. But other question obviously they're dealing with. >> a lot of >> were cornered me through what? >> You know, this system that we have. How how many schools? Devices, you know? I mean, thousands and thousands of different things going on. Guess my question is. And you MAY not in the of your head and that's fine. We staffed properly, right? They do. We do. We have the right making a mess in the right up enough. Staff is my I'm not in the right people say do we have enough? Because if one, you know, if there's if there's one leader that has all these technicians are needed to get a check, is that really even feasible? So I guess some of that and some of that in automation is going to help with that. There's no question. But that was really my question going to be. Do we feel like we're staff? They're appropriately. We need to have more help there. I know. No, we don't have enough technicians and things like that ever happened to outsource that out, right? Which is a whole nother because obviously can control process is when it's your own people, right? You so what amount of staff is what? But my question So I'm. >> Now this covered from 2024. Through, I think APRIL and 26 right. I can tell you that our staffing is stronger than in 2024, efforts have helped in that regard as to retaining our staff and filling those positions. It's still not where we wanted to be. We always are running in vacancies. And yes, that does contribute to the ability to properly track because we end up with weather is contracted worker an employee who stretched thinner than we would like them to be. Going to the manual work order just to quickly accomplish the task to provide what we need to to keep first rules moving forward. Has been the priority. And I appreciate that from the team. But now that our staffing is becoming a little bit more stabilized and we've been able to make adjustments and working through bargaining units to help raise our salaries to competitive level. Hopefully now we can get Digital procedure out there and works efficiently. No financial thing, MR. Kennedy. >> Thank Jack. I just want to be clear about the overall theme of this report is that those findings here or observations? Excuse me, there's Survation, but the nature of the observations is that we could do things more efficiently not that there was any kind of fiscal risk or equipment or money walking out the door. It was just we can be more efficient departments that correct? I would categorize as crack. Yeah. Absolutely. As an operational audit, we try and capture that. >> Continued progress. Continued efficiency development through our panic switch has our recommendations in there. We tried to lay out a road map for management to say this is how things can be prioritized as it relates to each of our recommendations as relates to efficiency, there's always going to be pass component to that. Whether it's labor, if it takes us 2 hours when it should take us one. There is an intrinsic pasta that but I I think we're talking in the nature this report more about how can we continue to make things better and build on the existing nation that we have right? Yeah, I you know, from been a while since district spent in this. In this posture. But, you know, people say, oh, and there's a there's a red observation on the report and to ps the for many years ago, people oh, my GOD, you know, we've got we've got to read the we've got a high risk observations. I just want to be clear, the nature of the nature of the risk. This is not this is not money or inventory. Walking out the door. >> This is just we can improve our process chair Yes, sir, I would. Say that the reason this is a high priority, MR. Kennedy is. Without the controls. You don't know whether you're being efficient or not. And without the data to be able to evaluate it. You don't know if you're using your staff efficiently and if you're hitting the right priorities need to be hit. You also when you are short of staff becomes even more critical to have that because those priorities don't go away. But if you've got only a certain number of bodies that can deal with it. The other thing that I picked up out of this is we're not tracking. Service requirements to maintain warranties. So if it's got an air conditioner that says we're supposed to maintain and do these procedures every 6 months and we're not. And it breaks you're looking at a very expensive proposition. And so the thing that we're talking about this and I've had a lot of experience in the maintenance and facilities area. We worried about things walking out the door. We worried about that and we're very satisfied that it's not happening. But at the same token with huge number of air conditioners, computers and everything that this district has. We've got to get better focused on what we're doing, how we're doing it and having a systematic plan. I can tell you even on my church, we've got 115 air conditioners. And putting chart together. This is when it was when the warranty was done and getting love doing that because we have a situation where this is huge and services. And it anybody trying to do anything wrong. But you just didn't have a system in place to keep So as funds become more. Scarce as we look certain propositions being voted on and the attitudes of some of the voters. We've got to be much more efficient and much more focused on. Are we getting everything we can out of it? And I would ask you to take that away from this more than anything else. It says its management it and it's not that you don't have good managers. It's like we don't have the particles in the system for them to and it's becoming the more we grow. More critical it becomes. Because year is really if you're If you're Hoping to have. Institutional memory. You lose that when somebody leaves. If it's not written down, it didn't happen. And a lot of stuff is not written down is not in the system is not law. Does not. And I would ask you take that away from I appreciate the heads up the perspective. Thank you. To MR. CHAIRMAN. Thank you for that perspective. My mic on. >> Here a couple nearby. So aircraft speaking of aircraft. I kind of disagree with you, MR. Kennedy and the >> if the faa came in and and we were running an airline. And we have this report. >> Instead of just, you know, picking their conditioning systems tools, they would shut us down. Okay. And this has been area. I'm glad to see that you're working on PRESIDENT Iran and then that we've had these conversations I had with the law superintendent lot of times when people ask if we have kind of school system that we say, we have a very good school system. If this could get it consider saying we have a great school system because this is just not. Who we should be as the were better than this, right. Let put it that way. I know we can do better. And I know PRESIDENT Is working on getting better and and we just have to get better besides the because when applying planes around, you know, it well, they are Jen doesn't get fixed for like 10 You know, no one's gonna die right? Or there's a flickering lights. You know, I remember one thing I saw I went to school and there was player and there was I was getting tour by the principal and there's the there are some lights there. For whether life play at night, I don't know. But anyway, so start talking with Jim Future. And the first of all, the columns were rusted on the play area and walked over there as it was like, oh, like MISTER Tatum goes look on the likes what's happened. Is they come on the go right off, right for those shorter something up there. And I asked I said how long that been like that? He although month year, something like that and not trying to be too critical, but we have to get some of the stuff out on the table. The process is not where it needs to be enough. I'm glad to see that the standing operating procedures and what we might call a checklist in the aviation order is really what we need here to bring this up to speed, to really move us from good to great. And I really appreciate what you said about. You know, we've talked about you've heard me talk about proactive versus reactive maintenance and over ruling out there doing a reactive maintenance, the republic costing ourselves money in the long run. My not having a more proactive system being more on top of this. But we are okay. By I really try to emphasize that because this is probably be if we can get this fixed before, you know, I leave for at least we're moving. This is great. We're moving in the right direction of prime up the board. I will consider have accomplished something that matters. Well, i was on the board because I think this really move us. Birds being a really great school system. I do have one question on Page Please probably missed >> There's a concerning the first thought. There's a good on the observation area. There's a that's a concerning bullet. Probably a good explanation for it. But says a report on vendors and for the period of one to like 2024 through 9 APRIL 2026. About 77 million, 600,000 dollars of maintenance and operations. And however, a report very specific to work order costs allocated expenditure of 100. And 26.2, 5, 8 million indicating that worker report carries or incorrectly allocating costs that we're not actually And if I the map. Real quickly on a piece of paper that about 45 49 million dollars. Of a difference between. What was what and showed that and what cost allocation was. Since earning. But again, I'm not down in the weeds what happened here, but maybe somebody could explain that different than is that a problem or that some accounting error or is there a process here that's really broken or what's going on? But I think a large part the process of the 126,000 in work that didn't actually make it over into the people saw system sometimes some something gets put in or duplicated or it's not something the actually gets chargeable, then they don't go back and clean those. >> That information up Definitely the 77, you know, sorry, million that made it into the people. Stop. Was good and paid for that kind of a thing. It's the piece on the other side in this manual system that needs to be looked at and reworked as as they said to be addressed and someone to take some time to go back in. Somebody opened up something that was actually not a chargeable project or if somebody put something into times, they need to clean it up. Like when we close the financials at year end, there's a lot of cleanup with purchase orders and everything counts. Something like this maintenance for Porter doesn't get to see that kind of process. So that's something that would be going into to be able sure that. >> talk about automation, other I'm hopeful that there's motivation opportunities. In this area is the company night are there other companies that are that can help us with this? Any thoughts on how we >> So of MISTER Clerk, if you want to talk about the art. If you want to talk about more quarter system >> You can sit hold kind of holding I'm old enough to last because this is kind of where come from. So but I want to hear from everyone else before I go South. I don't know if you want to let him talk because Ms Skelton is on the board. I have a protocol question as well. So you want to hear one them personal. Okay. Okay. Go ahead, MR. Carr. >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you. So for the opportunities. Yes. So now we're looking at automating a lot of our system working with Meta, a maintenance provider has some experience with doing this with another district. We believe that will help us tremendously what been able to maintain the system and make sure it's accurate. And we're following up with those loose details you know, the team has. I've been looking at this. Since the soup put us. On this task. You know, we're monitoring the data, making sure we have our following all those details. But the automation peace will be critical to helping get over that hump. So talking to the team here in the back as we were hearing some of this we do have systems in place, right? Preventable preventative maintenance systems and things of that nature. We could be better, right? So not going to sit say we can't be better. But the team is looking at all those those pieces in looking to bring that forward. We have a kpi the wing for to you will be monitoring. You'll be able to see let's make a pace in those areas. Staffing has been little bit of a concern that the suit said, you know, we're better than we have been. And some of those areas thankful to the board to proven us raising some of the salaries for electricians and plumbers and things of that nature. So we'll continue get better in this area. >> Go ahead and since. I do have a protocol question. You're sitting right here. Insist time for that one. So is there going to be electronic I mean, this is look a lot for electronic system in place for teachers and staff to submit requests because it was always a hay. You know, the lights are out in my classroom. And I'm gonna call. You know, I'm gonna call the front office is then going to call the head custodian. Who's then going to come look at it and who's then going to go away and then hopefully come back in 24 hours and fix it. So, you know, there's a way to. Summit something like Little tab in mind. Giants spread of tabs on like my computer to click and say, hey, I have a maintenance requests than it goes wherever it needs to go so that your gym teacher can put in that request or so that, you know, the teacher sitting in the classroom who doesn't have time to go run down the home, find the custodian, say, hey. You know, this light went out and or its flickering and driving me nuts or all the sudden, you know, this is not working that way. It gets processed faster versus relaying messages all the way around campus before gets where it needs to for you. I will take that in consideration. We hadn't gotten to that point to this point. What we've done is we've really spent a lot more time in training. Our head custodians. >> At the middle and elementary level level and high school plant managers be more proactive and some of the things making sure they're doing walks and documenting what's happening on campus. >> Sending those reports, 2 maintenance so that we have that record there. We can follow up on that in, for instance, if there's a work order that was Putin. In the system, this head custodian consent, something this report 2 maintenance on the backside as another check so that we can follow up whatever the concern is. So we're putting taken steps. So a lot of major steps this You'll see that come forward. But the key to that will be those head custodians on those campuses because they're, you know, monitor not walking the campus. Also bringing an assistant principal, the superintendent kind of change. Some of our ways of work for assistant principals for this year. We have a peel the curriculum of ap over operation, so to in a straight of assistant principal at the high school level. So those people along with you are whoever in charge of the area along with that head custodian, each campus working hand in hand with our maintenance department will take us to that next level. So that's something we'll be looking is always looking out How did from personal experience that they do? I call the head custodian. Do I let you know the one comes in my classroom now? >> Because they don't. When I walked the campus, they don't get to go into everything and see what it is that I might have going wrong. But we want them to be that first point of contact with it MAY be something could still you can handle very easily on their hand. So so we'll kind kind of work to make communicate know, where to go. Just who like that smoke. Peyton. So know you guys >> We're working hard with on this network with all of for years. I've been on the board and I got give kind of like a philosophical thought. Here is that one question. We might want to ask yourself is other we get here and maybe some of the man in the all that long, this has been going on for years. But it is a good question how did get ourselves to the point where, you know, got all that and all of the would you pull assessments that I've seen of the audits that I've seen? I've never seen something like this in this school district, right? So questions like how did we get here? And then so then you when you ask that question, you think, well, how we not get here again? And that might apply in other areas, whether it's finance or whether operations in other areas. And the thing that out for everybody is and what you happened. Through big and see new AirPods leadership positions and then during worship education. Is that one when senior leaders are too focused? On the daily operations and the people, one of them are not. Being proactive in bringing problems up and you end up having to spend a lot of your time just looking down into the. Into your operation going to go fix that. Go to that fix that what tells me and I could be wrong. But general experiences that somebody below your level should have been the boss. You know, these these workers aren't getting done. They've been sitting out here for 6 months. There's you know, there's a discrepancy in all this payment, you know. And so finally, balls up your level and I didn't know, right. But somewhere down in the system, people could have been. More proactive and take a little more initiative to bring this up. The lights of it because that's why in a way we hire senior leaders. That something like this? So the faa doesn't have and doing especially go away. You got problems. You know that that's a threat all while paid to not get to this point. And trying to be gentle with my work because I know we're all working hard and but this is to some degree. What is that terminology? I well, I want to call the leadership failure, but it is a it is certainly an area where we have ask ourselves, how did we get here and how do we not get there again in the future, whether it's this area or something, you know, and my experience like I said, has been that when leaders are focused. Area looking across to other areas and when the people aren't doing what? What MAY be perfect pollen pet base leadership where people are coming up from the bottom about, we've got problems. We've got to fix this and there's kind of doing their job every day. But they're not really thinking in this to make things better. That is one way that that we get to where we are today. So this provided back. Everybody I know of. You worked really hard. Like all of you not It's just this is definitely area where leadership can be learned and how we can better south of there. MADAM I think if you look back where we were, >> years back with the initial implementation of the people and the and the nightmares we were dealing with the staff only had a certain amount of. Time they could focus and they focused on what was the worst. We're working down the list. This is an area. It is one of the worst ones you seen since I've been on the audit committee. But it is also a reflection of putting out fires instead of being able to do a fire suppression and there's been a lot of that. This is why we do a risk assessment that required every 5 years that have updated every year. Where is that risk in? This is the first year they did the were it highly identified. This has got the potential risk we're always going to try and bring you what we see is going to bite you. And and and I got commend the staff because they have been short-handed. They have been underpaid. They have been running around like chickens a lot of times and you know, the work that the superintendent is brought forward to get the salaries up to get things more organized. We're getting there again. We've been going down as a district in checking this off and then going hear words a problem in check in and going down. And we've got down to this now. The thing I would encourage you to look at those. We did find fell cations. We didn't find anybody running off with anything. We didn't find anybody pull any games. It's just we now have to focus on the management and protocols, as you say. The faa has been looking at the other stuff. First, you know, it's a gas in the plane we're getting this. We also at the meeting Tuesday Thursday, going to be looking at the audit letters and what we're going to be doing for this fiscal year. Again, based on those risks based on what it is but this was one. Hit home to me having my experience in this field that I just wanted us to go through. It. We would have brought this to you sooner. If we had doing a 5 year update on the audit plan and on a short-term basis of better things had happened. If we hadn't had the turnover that we had. So I think when you look at this and it overall basis, I think you got to commend the staff are getting done what they've done and we're going forward. You've heard they've already started. The process looking at it. We've got a new consultant on the people soft. So I I'm encouraged. And I think that you will be able to look back on your term and see what you did successfully, sir. I agree with that. I agree with maybe the last 6 months or so. But I mean, it's sort of this conversation with previous superintendent. >> It's just but we're making progress. Recounts you hired a good one. But we but you know, I agree. I agree. I like It's just it's it's what's the disappointing? That that's all it is. It's just disappointing. We can do better than this. And we are going to better than this. And I'm glad that we're here, but it is concerning. Like I said, it. And say that when I say the faa would come in shut us down. But, you know, my experience that they came in and salt, the maintenance issues that we were having with their crop, like we're having with our buildings and stuff like that, they would it would not let us fly. Now, you know, their conditions go down. Nobody necessarily dies or variation systems don't do Like when does your life And it's hot? Well actually didn't France? That was amazing. The whole nother story with that. They don't have air conditioners and some of the hospitals and elderly care facilities and hundreds of people Just amazing. But anyway. And brother were doing better than we need them. And it's a good look. That's a good leadership lesson about how did we get here? I would not get here in the future and that falls on senior leaders some degree just say let what happened here. Happened in some other. Area, whatever that might be finances instruction, public affairs, transportation, you know, because my general impression of being here is that those things generally one pretty well. But I started things that I've mentioned are anecdotal like lights and irrigation systems. But I see them all over the district at some point in a panic, don't become evidence of a problem. You brought it, instance, on. I'm glad that we're doing something about it. That's all I have to say. Thank on that. >> Cannot Are you done heat? No, no, I do have a question. But you guys just going to say, you know, we are taking steps, started taking stuff before the report came out. >> To make things better. There's a couple Fox's when attacked, we stated before, working with meta to automate some of the system so that we can prioritize a little easier, the work that needs to be done. That's big stuff. Second step as a state. It is working with the people that we have to make the system better. Write those tickets told that campuses working with our maintenance supervisors were meeting regularly to look at where things are and what we need to get better. We doing on audits, right? We're walking campuses to see how things are, as you know, kind of alluded to. Not just in the classrooms. This walking the entire campus to see where the issues are. And then that's another check and balance. All that comes together to help us be successful. So you will see it better the next time we have to report out on this. Also up for that meeting. We'll Okay. Solution. Some along the point. Was saying about like, how do we get here? Did we ever it heavy? >> I don't remember seeing. Audit done on this yet since I've been here. >> Since it's been a while and that is the thing. We've tried to do it in the last year with the previous during lot utters. But because of the 5 year planning versus that we had to do. That was the same people would have been working with. They only had so much time Other circumstances. This got pushed off. I had wanted to be done before the others left. But it kind of got to it as we can share noted there's. Been a long time. Been looked at right, that other areas that had potential like transportation. Some of the other areas that actually had a higher risk of. But as the problems first, yeah, but we are trying to look at anything we see could be improved or potential problems. You can see. I don't know the circumstances, but when you have air conditioning is go down on the first day of school, you know, this is something we want to avoid ever again chair. And so we're trying to. Run this audit committee and use these auditors to do the progressive look not penalty. Not not. How can we go forward, we help you make it better. >> a like 3. Put it. You You said earlier that these observations are prior to any major mishaps happening. Yes, they're saying these are things that we see that could potentially become. And issue a major issue said to moving forward. So I go back to like the question of how did we get here? Got here would because looked at it and that's not anyone's ball per se do that to him. I mean, by that is from an audit standpoint outside ice coming in, looking at it. Thank you. Said we haven't had that in a long time. I've been here to 21 out Michigan. He's been here the longest. From 10 year. I just have not seen this. I don't know if you have seen any in on it like this. And so we did have other pressing things that we're getting here now. And so I think that part of the reason why we haven't got your just because we have it setback. It stepped in, looked at the procedures in the process right? And you say why hasn't it happened? From 8? Maybe? Auditor standpoint, but when you're the trenches and you're doing this from an everyday Every day you're doing this. Think about the last just the last 4 or 5 years. The amount of new schools, which means new bases, new switches, new floors, doors, etc. And then multiply that by. We know that it's hard because we see it as a board. And know what we're trying to do from up a union standpoint, give raises to people we know were art, efficiencies and efficiencies all with with hiring technician because why would they work here for Halford? 2020% less. Did they go get a job somewhere else in the private industry? And by the way, the private industry can even hire enough people. We shouldn't there is doesn't come to a surprise to me that there's that there's efficiencies and in in and we could be better, of course, because we don't. And this is why I asked Steph, what is our staffing? Since I've been on the board, we have never been full staff period. We talk about the bus drivers and technicians and things that we've in inroads in some of these what we don't have. I don't think we're going to have capabilities of of the electricians see people in any said running I MAY be wrong in this be completely off base. But as soon as we stepped out. We can all the processes and things done right. But as soon as we step away from using our own people, we go to another contractor. Those process is as so peas are going to to eventually crack because it's it's not a people. We're not controlling those things. It will hire hvac system to fix the problem because we don't have one of our own hvac. You know, technicians ready to go. We can't control how they and put you know, mean, but we can people because we training that we can. We can do that. I think this It. Like we're probably seeing in And I bet you if we did this other school systems that are growing and are or any other baby businesses except are that that have road like this we've had since covid. We have not caught up in my personal opinion with the amount of of of this my staff, teaching staff and all that up. Talk about the people on the ground be able work. The actual technicians. I don't think we have enough at on any of the departments and I exactly that number means do we go? We 5 left unless one less to live. I don't know. We don't have full. I mean, not schools full complimentary of of of custodians, right? We're always looking for them. Joe. I yeah. I mean. Think about your own personal life, the to do list that you're home and then multiply that by 60. You know, 60 other places that are also 200 times your home square footage and what's going on right? I Yeah, not saying that we can't do better. We absolutely need to do better. And I do believe that technology is a way to help with. Obviously the lack of of actual people allow persist for computer or whatever, 2, to take that job and do it but I just I just want to make sure we all like I we're we coming like were becoming from from this because I don't we've haven't had it. So if you haven't had it, how do you know what the issues are? You don't go to doctor physical. How you get to know. Right? So mean. That, doesn't that doesn't take away, though, from the fact that we do have to do better I think we can with the right technologies and that things like that. And so I'm happy to see us in that direction. But i think I just think this is hype. This is something that we haven't been really looking at from an audit standpoint and we've got a little bit too big for bridges a little bit. So to speak of like what we and maintaining the school's in Off my soapbox I'm not working right direction. Okay. MR. Candidate. >> And then wrap it up. Yeah, I'll be I just wanted to be in case anybody is listening to years later and MR. Clarke used the term eta to refer to metaphor mers. And I just want to be really clear that we're not talking about Meta, the company just sort of 17 billion dollars for a q Lauren Kids at the social media just in case anybody out there with a thought that so anytime I get a gun on Facebook, I'm gonna take a chance. We are not working with meta. Meta. Former says our new vendor. Thank you. MADAM Chair in your app up. These reports are prepared by staff that you've engaged need to be a proved by this board, not just accept it. >> Both of these 2 reports are your reports that need to be approved by you and the board? >> And that's what we'll do the next agenda for for making the lot of things to say actually first of all. I knew that the maintenance problem. Maintenance system here. Was a huge problem. When I came on the board, however, there were other. Critical things that needed to be. Focused on. But that out there One of the things I in my opinion. Have noticed experts in the field. You need to have the right experts in the field. You have experts education with the curriculum. Yep. Experts in the field of ese and all those other programs. We do not have the right experts place. Maintenance, in my opinion. We have some great people, but you experts in those fields. I have. Seeing custodians mowing the yards. I have seen guardians. Picking up branches after storm and trash. That's not their role to do that. I'm not a huge fan of. The people saw. Using that system. For this operation for maintenance because you have and and maintenance systems. You have a Tron such as computers and everything that goes on with that. You have building and grounds me the building needs off. Repairs. The grounds needs change. And I technologies. Then still a t maintenance, which is custodians and that kind of thing. And then there's also sports fields. Think about the all of the issues that come up on the sports field. Somebody that, you know, knows that. And then of course, transportation and maintenance cent that goes into all of that. So I'm not a huge fan throwing more money into a people saw program. Watch system is called. People saw not maintenance off people. So I would encourage the district to start looking at program. I don't know about this matter program much for yeah. I kind of read through this. But there are programs specifically just for maintenance that will handle your building and grounds or facility. Your sports fields and transportation. Specifically. I don't repay. I see the invoices ever mother for invoices every month for people to manage what out there. To have. >> a work order. >> Generated in a system or in our case, a paper work order written and then it going through it steps to getting to the right. Expert in that field. Is is a disaster to me. There should be a system. And I worked in a so I know there's a system. You click on generate work order, then it says what type and area of work that you're looking at and you click through those fields and it takes you to the asset. Everything we have should have asked number. That asset. Is clicked on and then you describe what's going on without outset. If it's hvac, if it's for a generator in the kitchen, it's got to ask number. You write that work or out for that specific asset number. That's how you track how much money you're paying. To maintain an asset. If you replace it would be more cost effective. That's the kind of maintenance system on used to working in. Coming senior leadership and saying you're putting too much money and this piece of equipment. I've had 10 work orders on it the last 6 months and has cost this much money to fix it when a new one, what caused this? So I think our maintenance system. >> Needs total overhaul. I think it's a capital project that we can do. >> I'm sure we can work that somehow on a five-year plan. I don't again, I don't know what system you are looking at, but you need to have experts in those fields to give you feedback. And all of these critical areas. And then putting people in and place that have back browns and those specific areas. I don't think we have that right now. I really don't think that we I know that we have people that have been here forever and they get. But in these jobs and rolls. But they have no background in areas. So and I'm not trying to be district disrespectful to anybody and just going on what I know and my 20 years of working in and corporate world and how. Maintenance works. And knowing the difference you know, 12 drainpipe the roofing different mills of roofing and and boiler that products, which is if something goes wrong, I get learn and eilert maintenance to go check on that immediately before blows us all up. So that's the kind of background I bring to this board and to this table. That I think that that whole department, every one of them, every every one of Asian majory hall. On. And like you said, MISTER Daniels, it's not so much about. Necessarily have and the the process in place. I think it's a lot of things is to process the people that system and and bringing that up too. We just talked about payroll and how Adam at it automated that is yet our maintenance work order system. It's still 1990's, which is sad I think it puts awful lot of strain on MR. Hansen, back I just think there's a lot to manage their and to have a work order in a system that's more than 30 days old. It could be staffing. It could simply just be staffing. And then there's also their systems out there that can put critical, not critical can be done over the summer can be done during Christmas break. So there's there's raise their systems out there. Big system and I would not necessarily. Should the people saw system to manage our maintenance system? I just think big mistake to do that. I mean, I they were pan 80, 90 $100,000 a month to maintain that system. To tell us. What we already know. I just think it's it's crazy. And to MISTER Tatum was point on that dollar amount. If that dollar amount was there that page front page was that MISTER 18? Yeah. A total of 77 Million. 2 actual was. Expenditures. 100 that was allocated 126 Million. I mean, that's huge number. That's been reserved in our county system. I'm guessing that, you know, okay, what are we going to do it all that? It's alright ma. So you don't have to answer I'm just saying. That's putting. Money in holding money in the system that you MAY because we don't know what whoever is putting network or doesn't really know what expense of that repair will be. Who's putting the number on repair order? I don't know but I just think that I would encourage this for just say we need to hold overhaul of this maintenance system and we need to put people in place that are experts in that field, whether it's buildings, transportation. Technology, which pretty much. I think we have a great handle on technology, but even sports field. You know that you guess in regular maintenance guy out there to fix a tennis court when it don't even know what are the painting lines are supposed to be or how high the net is supposed to be? You wouldn't send somebody out there that, you I'm just saying we need to have the right people in the right field in the right areas. And I just think we need to look at it. Try to find Just want to know what other districts use. Question I'm going to start asking conferences about what kind of system they're using for their maintenance. But I harborsun against trying to incorporate papal stop. We need to separate that out. People stopped is for people and the things that we do there. I don't think we need to have anything else. Honest, just a minute. Just rain at a little more. But I do want to say. It's it's it's this is the time. This is the time now make those changes. Drastic changes to our system and our whole maintenance program. >> a look with yes, you can. Really agree with everything. I say everything you just said. I mean, I think we both agree in principle. I don't a group all the detail that think about. But I agree in principle very much with phrase that and but I did want to clarify one point that I made earlier about. But I said, look, a different way of doing leadership. The people at senior levels instead of looking down into into the operational that I need to be looking up and now is what I like to say. Give an example of this. You know, I do these little food deliveries every week. And so one of our elementary schools for a year at the exit of one of our schools. There are potholes. Look for year and I would go over. Sure it might time to lock on the call, somebody you know, that and so for a year was like finally won that picture of him. And I Clarke and they were facts right? But the question is, was a sense of ownership within everybody all the way down from the janitor to the superintendent? You know why? Where they like that for a year and I go through a number of of anecdotes like that about the showed me the over the over the years. That number one, there isn't a sense of ownership. And number 2, there's are big process problems that we have and I'm not so sure that. And think about MR. Cho had to say is that part of the senior leaders dogs to see those kind of things like I've been pointing this stuff out for. For 3 or 4 years to various people, whether it's your other Superintendent, Doctor Rosen and the idea that when when exactly directors are driving around the schools and you're driving around the schools and even you're talking about those bills Roland, are you looking at? I know we're an education oriented organization, but we have a huge amount of infrastructure that's worth billions of dollars. And that's part of leadership to it's not just educating the kids and getting them out to become stadium to graduate from this and primary polls. And you're in the court that support the superintendent and that way. So and though you work hard, I've seen you work hard and every time I bring something your pension, you're on it. And you fix fix it. And we did a great job over Lakewood Ranch. But maybe somehow instilling a sense of ownership and the people that will help them bring things up maybe like I own this campus. This is my little girl. I want look nice and will help us. And then you being more focused. Or the senior leaders being more focused on not just people of the graduation line, but actually how was our infrastructure? How was it presented to the public? Are we going to increased expenses down the line because we're not. Taking care of being proactive, maintenance on a regular basis. And it sounds like from your experience that we need a lot of thinking over homes there to make it better for Hall. Thank Thank you. Development here. >> To dialogue off scent. I don't MISS A disagree with something you said, but we i just want to point out that we as a board. Have the ability in the control. And where we want the budget to move. So we up here can't complain to anybody else because we easily sit here and say. >> As we're going through >> we just finished our gosh. What are top 10 of budget? >> No. But with 2 general strategic plan. >> None on with with the We're going mark so we just were doing bargaining right? We sit here and I'm not gonna get obviously what I know. MR. Die maybe like yours MAY be perking. Like where you go with I could beat me details right? But >> we have the ability to to when the when team comes up with an idea of raises or this or that. >> We have the ability to say no, we want to do x, y z in that department and we want to hire more people im Peyton this and pay them that right? >> No, no. In bargaining know of. None of the unions are going to take. We don't want 5% raise. We'll take that too. So we have the ability. >> To say to the superintendent made it. So we've we're gonna go back and say this has been an issue and I'm not are there are any issues. But we have sat here too. It had not fix the problem, which is. My personal opinion. The pay you talk about experts agree with you, but that expert is not going to work in in public education for making. A number up $