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Is TUSD misusing Prop 301 funds?

Board asks outside auditor
Posted at 10:20 PM, Jan 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-18 00:20:21-05
Is TUSD hoarding millions of dollars in Prop 301 funds that supposed to go to teachers to hide a budget deficit? That's the question some board members intended to find out Tuesday night after teachers have been making that claim for months.
 
The accounting firm of HeinfeldMeech presented the district's 2015-16 financial statement. The report shows that TUSD amassed nearly 21 million dollars in its classroom site fund, which comes from Prop 301 dollars. And the district has been borrowing the money to pay negative cash balances.
 
The board members wanted to know -- was the money misused?
 
Board member Kristol Foster asked HeinfeldMeech: "With your financial expertise in this, we need a straight answer. CPA Casey Good answered, "We perform tests on 301, we did not identify any misuse of funds for 301."
 
Board president Michael Hicks told KGUN9 during a break in the board meeting, "Although legally we could take that 301 funding and use it for our cash flows, which is what they said, morally I don't think it's the right thing to do."
 
We asked Superintendent H.T. Sanchez for an interview, but he declined. We'll continue to stay on top of this issue.