Stockton Unified School District under investigation for possible fraud
SACRAMENTO -- Stockton Unified School District is facing more troubles as a new audit finds sufficient evidence of possible fraud, including money mismanagement and illegal financial practices.
The audit reviewed 64 transactions the board made from July 2019 to April 2022, and it found that more than half had no purchase orders or any formal approval before the purchase was made. There was no competitive bidding or requests for proposals for 96% of them - indicating that there was no attempt to try and get the best deal.
The audit mainly focused on the district's contract for air filter disinfectant technology, which the district paid over $7 million for in August 2021. However, a grand jury report discovered that only 800 filters of the 2,000 that had been ordered were installed.
The school board now has 15 days to report to the superintendent about how they plan to respond.