The Kentucky state auditor’s office announced yesterday it would be conducting a special examination of Fayette County Public Schools.
That comes amid public outcry after the school board voted on a proposal to raise its occupational tax by point-25 percent last month, alongside a projected $16 million budget shortfall.
State auditor Allison Ball says those types of audits are “rare” because of how thorough they tend to be.
“A special exam allows you, if you find out there's some other areas of concern. You can go down those rabbit trails, you can look at things, and you can find out more information as you're going in it,” she said.
She says audits are usually meant to root out fraud, but this one is meant to find how money can be managed more efficiently.
“One thing that we've wanted to begin pulling back into this office are performance audits, and that looks at the use of your money,” Ball said. “Are you getting enough on your investment? Is it efficient? So that fits very nicely with this type of situation we're looking at here.”
Ball says narrowing down the scope of the examination will be difficult until the office looks through the tips they received.
A statement from district spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith says the school system is confident a review will affirm a commitment to “excellence, equity and transparency.”
