Press Room
Districts and ESDs participate in performance audits
Performance audits of state and local governments, which voters approved last year as Initiative 900, will soon be underway within the state's K-12 system. The law requires the State Auditor to analyze the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of government entities with the goal of improving operations and reducing costs. The state's nine educational service districts were selected to be among the first agencies to be audited.
"I feel confident that our state's educational service districts will impress upon the auditors the tremendous value ESDs have to the educational system in our state," said Superintendent Dr. Twyla Barnes. "Washington's model of regional service delivery is highly successful and serves as a model throughout the country. Still, we look forward to learning additional ways of improving our performance and how we can better serve school districts and other educational partners."
The State Performance Audit has nine objectives:
-Identify and share best practices.
-Identify services that can be reduced, eliminated or transferred to the private sector.
-Identify cost savings.
-Recommend changing laws and regulations to improve operations.
-Analyze role and function, recommend changes, identify service gaps and duplications, and recommend elimination as appropriate.
-Pursue feasibility of pooling information technology systems within departments.
-Analyze agency performance-based measures, data and self-assessment methods.
State Auditor Brian Sonntag said the ESDs were selected for the first K-12 performance audits because of the importance of their role in supporting school districts.
According to Sonntag, the goal is to determine whether the current structure "is effectively and efficiently meeting the needs of students of school districts" and whether it is "serving the purpose for which the Legislature initially intended."
The performance audit will take place in the state’s nine ESDs and at least 12 school districts. The review will examine areas such as organizational structure, leadership and management of human resources, operating costs, strategic goals and performance management plans.
ESD 112's audit is tentatively scheduled to begin in October.