Outside Consultants Hit Paydirt with LAUSD- Audit findings strike a nerve with Cortines

A story today from the L.A. Daily News has brought out some information that raises more questions about LAUSD spending trends and amounts, "Big bucks for LAUSD consultants," by George B. Sánchez, Staff Writer, posted: 03/26/2009. Some costly spending by the LAUSD on outside consultants during 2006-2007 was a glaring finding. http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_11998276

Supertintendent Ramon Cortines was so concerned with the findings presented to him from an audit that he has somebody check it over and, according to the story, to look over "a defense of the building program by construction chief Guy Mehula." The audit was prepared by Inspector General Jerry Thornton.

While the audit was completed late last month, Cortines said it contained
"unsubstantiated" findings and asked Thornton and Mehula to work out their
differences.

"I am on top of this," Cortines said. "I have concerns with the report and its content."
School board members are only now getting copies of the audit, which Cortines said he would explain to them on Tuesday.

The inspector general, the district's internal watchdog, said he would not release the report to the media until late next week.

Check the rest of the story and see what else you might consider as the union has, that might affect the extent of the teacher layoffs. The construction has been going on for years and at the same time, District's schools have seen enrollment continue to decline each year, making you wonder about the entire scheme of things and how this makes sense. It mght be that the spending is being done as quickly as possible just to do it before somebody sees this conflict in logic and reels all these characters in.

District officials defend the practice, saying consultant contracts ebb and
flow with the various stages of construction and have said district wages don't
measure up to industry standards.

They add that special consultants are particularly needed to efficiently
carry out the nearly $20 billion school construction program.

One of the things I found from the teacher training by the District a few years back, was that there were "consultants" who were formerly LAUSD employees and then went private with their skills, being able to earn a better income. That personnel transition was something that was applicable to those providing services related to the pupils, but as for this audit and whether it applies exclusively to the construction of buildings is not known to me.

UTLA President AJ Duffy has not seen the report but is duly concerned and offers no "benefit of the doubt" meanwhile to the District, instead suspecting more poor handling of finances to the detriment of the teachers.

There looks to be more to come from Superintendent Cortines very soon and we will see how the Board members handle it. If there is any action to be done, I hope we don't have to sit through a whole lot of verbage and jargon before the get to the answer and if there something wrong, it would be a refreshing change to see somebody admit it, and not go into "cover up" mode.