DC Mayoral School Takeover Would Trigger Audit

According to teh Washington Post, if Mayor Adrian Fenty gets his way and control of the flailing DC Public Schools, the move would trigger an audit.

D.C. Deputy Mayor for Education Victor A. Reinoso said yesterday that his office will begin an extensive probe of the school district's budget if the D.C. Council gives a mayoral takeover of education final approval.

"The goal is to understand . . . where the funds are being spent," Reinoso said.

I understand the need to know where the money is being spent, but the first and foremost question is: Why don't they know this now?!!

The lack of understanding of where and how money is spent is a major problem in education today. The problem is not isolated only to Washington, DC, but to most other cities as well. I fear that many school systems would fail a standard budget audit because most people don't know where and how the money in the system is spent.

The matter is exacerbated by the tendency of legislative bodies to simply provide more funds to schools so the budget doesn't become a priority because the thought is that more money will be coming. The money drain that is public education needs to be plugged, so that we know where the money is coming from and where the money is going--every cent.