Fraud at Sweetwater Maybe but Unlikely
By Thomas Ultican 7/1/2020
For the past week, local San Diego TV and Print media have been filled with damning headlines like the NBC affiliate’s, “Audit of Sweetwater Union High School District Finds Evidence of Fraud” or the online publication Voice of San Diego’s “Audit Finds Sweetwater Officials Deliberately Manipulated Finances.” Every local news outlet published this story with some version of these headlines.
On Monday June 23, the Fiscal Crisis Management Assist Team (FCMAT) presented the results of its long awaited audit of Sweetwater Union High School District’s (SUHSD) finances. The report authors state,
“Based on the findings in this report, there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that fraud, misappropriation of funds and/or assets, or other illegal fiscal practices may have occurred in the specific areas reviewed.”
How Did SUHSD Arrive Here?
For Sweetwater, this is really a continuation of a course set by corrupt leadership a decade earlier. It is also emblematic of the financial stress all California school district are facing. Kristen Taketa reporting for the San Diego Union noted in November 2018:
“At least 10 districts in the county are projecting that they will not be able to meet their financial commitments next school year, including Chula Vista Elementary, Jamul-Dulzura Union, Mountain Empire Unified, Oceanside Unified, San Diego Unified, San Marcos Unified, San Ysidro, Sweetwater and Vista Unified. More districts won’t be able to meet their financial commitments after next year.”
Three factors are mainly responsible for these growing financial stresses. The CONTINUE READING: Fraud at Sweetwater Maybe but Unlikely | tultican
