The School Board questioned retired inspector generals about the value of creating a new position for the school system as an alternative to filling the School Board auditor position that has been vacant for more than four years.
During the discussion, some board members hinted that there was still lingering distrust of an auditor, while others questioned the need of an inspector general when many of the services are already provided by staff and independent contractors.
"We had an auditor about four years ago and he issued a report that was dead wrong and people still refer to it," said Stuart Gibson (Hunter Mill).
MORE THAN FIVE YEARS ago, the School Board had its own auditor, who reported directly to and at the discretion of the board. Political tensions arose over the position when the auditor labeled a reserve fund as surplus leading to the Democratically-endorsed members not to renew the contract. The auditor was transferred to another position within the school system, the $130,000 salary and $30,000 for benefits moved to the programs budget and the position has since remained vacant.
Looking back, said several board members, one of the problems the auditor faced was having 12 masters and no authority to solicit cooperation from other departments within the school system.
"I think where we went wrong with the auditor to the School Board was we tied his hands at so many different levels," said Mychele Brickner (At large).
"The duties of an inspector general are to audit, investigate and evaluate," said Eldon Stoehr, one of two retired inspector generals who spoke to the board. "The authorities are quite important. If the inspector general is going to be effective, the inspector general has to have access to everything, and have the authority to take oaths and affidavits."
Stoehr, who most recently served as inspector general of the Farm Credit Administration until his retirement in 2000, and Hubie Sparks, who retired as inspector general of the Appalachian Regional Commission last year, suggested the inspector general be responsible to the chairman of the School Board, be able to select his or her own staff, be given adequate office space and issue reports that were open to the public.
They said the position should be modeled on the federal government's, as defined in the Federal Inspector General Act of 1978 and 1988. Stoehr said the position, which would require a small staff, can be used to consolidate other auditor positions, which already exist within the school system and thereby eliminate duplication of work.
However, already there seems to be hints that members of the board are not willing to surrender control and that the last experience with an auditor has left some with trust issues.
"I have concerns about this environment where the inspector general would be by themselves. With the federal government, there are several inspector generals that meet and talk," said Robert Frye (At large). "The question is technical oversight of this person or group of people. How can this board be sure the inspector general used the correct data set, used appropriate techniques?"
Stoehr said one way is to not establish a one or two person office, but instead look at the entire system and see who is already doing this type of work and put them all under one roof.
"You would choose someone [to head the office] with a body of experience," Stoehr said. "As for oversight, inspector generals are required to have peer review every three years, when another inspector general comes in and looks over everything. It would be up to the board if you wanted to do that or hire an independent agent to do the review."
Sparks said various cities and states have some sort of inspector general, albeit under another name in some cases, including Fairfax County. However, he cautioned the board against using the county as a model, saying it took several telephone calls to even locate the inspector general's office.
"Fairfax County set up an Office of an Inspector General about 10 years ago of one or two people. Now it's called auditors to the Board of Supervisors, and it's still only one or two people," Sparks said. "I wouldn't recommend one or two people. What are they going to review in a year's time? The important part is to have an office sufficient to do [significant] audits. People want to know if we are getting the bang for our buck."
JANE STRAUSS (Dranesville) said what the experts were describing sounded a lot like the system's Office of Program Evaluation, which evaluates all of the school system's programs based on student achievement. She also said the school system already has internal auditors, who review the financial side of the house. In addition, she said the system is in the process of having an independent schoolwide audit completed by a company based in Texas. This is the second time in six years the board has hired an company to conduct an independent systemwide auditor, Strauss said, pointing out the county has not had independent audits completed on its programs.
"One of the problems here is we're all equal. When we did have an independent auditor, he had 12 bosses," Strauss said. "Yet if we hire an independent firm, it's out of the reach of the 12 bosses."
Christian Braunlich (Lee) said that while the school system did have an Office of Program Evaluation, it amounted to management evaluating management.
"Those who investigate themselves have a vested interest in the outcome," Braunlich said.
Stoehr once again said the board could take the pieces it already had in place and consolidates them into one office, with the head person, namely the inspector general, given a little more independence. In addition, it was still possible to keep the "12 bosses," but instead have the board speak through one voice, namely the chairman.
"Also we have found independent firms tend to remain independent when funneled through an inspector general," Stoehr said.
In the School Board’s case, the chair is elected each year to run the meetings and basically has no more power or authority then the other 11 members. Sparks said the number of board members could present a problem, especially when the chairman is not given certain authorities. However, he said the inspector general legislation does work and it creates creditability in the eyes of the public.
The experts said the School Board would create the basic work plan for the inspector general, but the inspector general would have to have the authority to make adjustments to the plan in accordance to the investigations being conducted. They also said it was possible to have an inspector general report to an elected body, without having the position pulled into the politics.
In a move that could mean the board is in no particular hurry to hire either an inspector general or an auditor, on Thursday, April 10, Kathy Smith (Sully) has asked staff to provide more information about inspectors general, including how to determine the size of the staff, how to give the position authorization and a list of other school jurisdictions that employ an inspector general.