Monday, June 13, 2016

[San Diego County] School district changes ways after grand jury audit

The San Diego County Grand Jury, a committee of citizens that investigates the operations of government entities, recently released an audit of San Ysidro School District’s financial records that covered past decisions and past practices dating back to 1997. As the district’s new superintendent, I viewed the report as a validation of our own internal assessments of the past 19 years, detailing inexcusable actions by former leaders that steered the district to the brink of bankruptcy, negatively affected countless facets of our organization and caused the loss of our community’s trust.
But I’m happy to note that for more than a year the management practices within our San Ysidro School District have begun to change for the better, thanks to the leadership of our reconstituted Board of Education and its members’ decision to hire a new administrative team as part of their commitment to change the way business is done within the district. Even before the release of this report, the district began the process of restructuring and is guided by new leadership with high standards, high expectations, and an unyielding commitment to students and community.
It was 18 months ago that this new board ignited a firestorm when members gutted the district’s administrative team to rectify years of mismanagement. Through that action, they declared that things would change… and they have, though I must be clear that this is still a work in progress.
The board hired me in July 2015 and my cabinet has come on board steadily over the last nine months. But even as this administrative team has faced these issues head-on, we are still unraveling the deep-rooted fiscal mismanagement that plagued this district.
The grand jury’s review underscored the vast amount of work we must undertake to ensure SYSD remains on course. In addition to the deep leadership vacuum, the report called out the district’s lack of strong policies and internal controls, the lack of transparency and the blatant disregard of the district’s fiduciary responsibility to San Ysidro’s citizens.
The audit made several recommendations to the San Ysidro School District to correct these issues, many of which we had already begun implementing. We welcome greater transparency, oversight and accountability because we know they’re integral parts of an efficient, healthy organization.
That said, we refuse to allow our history to dictate our future. As we work to correct the wrongs of the past, we must do so in an environment that presents greater opportunities for our students today. Our instructional program is strong, our students are succeeding and our teachers and staff are passionate educators. Additionally, my administrative team and I are working to foster partnerships with the many strong organizations that have helped build the San Diego region’s robust academic culture.
I am proud to say that recovery is in sight. This year, we presented our first positive budget certification and earned an upgraded bond rating from Fitch Ratings. We are in the midst of our instructional design process to ensure our curriculum is aligned with the rigorous California standards. In July, we will launch new STEM and college-readiness programs that will further enhance our instructional program and ensure our students are competitive.
In addition, we are collaborating with our staff, parents and community to develop strategic plans for maintaining clean, safe facilities and cutting-edge technology in our classrooms and implementing programs to best support our English learners, while also proceeding with the reconfiguration of grade spans at our schools.
We know the process of rebuilding the trust and confidence of our community is significant, so we have embraced this challenge by establishing a solid foundation that begins with strong leadership, transparency, and commitment. We are eager to provide the educational opportunities our students deserve.
June 8, 2016
The San Diego Union-Tribune
By Julio Fonseca, superintendent of the San Ysidro School District


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