Shiner school district to get education agency audit

Shiner school district to get education agency audit
Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Barry Halvorson, Victoria Advocate Reporter

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SHINER -The Texas Education Agency will audit the finances of the Shiner school district, Cynthia Thornton announced Monday.

Thornton, the District 10 representative on the State Board of Education, made the announcement during a press conference at the Booth Building in Shiner. About 60 people attended the meeting. Gloria Reindl was the only school board member at the meeting.

Thornton said she asked Texas Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley to request the audit. "The buck stops here," Thornton said after the announcement. "There already are rumors that a small group of individuals in the community made the request, but I take responsibility for it myself. It is all my fault"

In her presentation, Thornton said the audit is scheduled to start on Feb. 15 and upon its completion, a preliminary report should be available in approximately 60 days. She reported the district was informed of the audit on Friday, which Shiner Superintendent Trey Lawrence confirmed.

Thornton said she and Neeley have received a number of e-mails, letters and phone calls expressing concern about the financial condition of the district, which has about 500 students in grades kindergarten through 12. She said she earlier suggested to Lawrence and the district's trustees that they contact Region II and/or the TEA for constructive input on the district's budget and the construction of a new school building.

As part of her prepared statement, Thornton said residents with further concerns should call 512-463-7595.

Lawrence said he did not attended Monday's press conference because he didn't hear about it until earlier in the day. "I was aware of the audit," he said in a phone interview. "But I was never contacted personally by Mrs. Thornton about Monday's meeting. We've already started putting together the information for the TEA. I was really kind of blind-sided by this because no one has appeared before the board during a regular meeting to bring anything like this up."

Lawrence said it was not unusual to be contacted by the TEA about an audit for any number of reasons and the district has always complied.

"Any time they receive a complaint they are going to look into it," he said. "Usually it can be handled with a simple phone call. In this case, I'm 100 percent confident the TEA will have no issues with what we are doing and we are going forward with the project."

He said that work at the site, which is next to the district's football stadium on the west side of the city, has started.

Both Thornton and Lawrence expressed hopes that the audit will finally settle the issue in the community.

"If the audit proves the district is in fine fiduciary shape and following all statutory requirements, it should clear up all the concerns," Thornton said. "But we need to find out. And if they are, that's great."

"I'm positive that every thing is being done properly," Lawrence said. "I'm just hoping when the audit proves that, it will quell any other allegations people may want to make about the district and everyone will get behind the project."

Barry Halvorson is a reporter for The Victoria Advocate.
Contact him at 361-798-3888, or by e-mail at hvilladv@vicad.com.

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