Audit doubts school monitor capabilities Saturday, August 18, 2007 • BY JOHN MOONEY • Star-Ledger Staff State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy may be promising a new and improved monitoring system for New Jersey's public schools this year, but an external audit of her department is questioning whether it is up to the task. Ordered by the Legislature, the audit by the accounting firm of KPMG found the department understaffed and under-trained for its increased roles in monitoring and assisting districts, as well as tightening controls on how they spend public dollars. The new monitoring has been a centerpiece of Davy's stated mission for the department. She has said it would provide a new level of oversight of school districts to ensure money is well-spent and programs are effective. But the KPMG audit said the specific staffing needed for the oversight is not in place, including promised "highly trained professionals" who would assist districts in correcting any problems found in the monitoring. The audit -- which cost $628,000 -- also said the department's technology and data collection capabilities were outdated. And separately, it found the staffing and training for specific new financial oversight out of the department's county offices has yet to be put in place. The new budget oversight is a key piece of efforts by Gov. Jon Corzine and the Legislature to contain school spending and curb property taxes. Davy has often spoken about the increasing demands on the department and the reorganization needed to meet them, much of which is already under way and cited in the audit. But she has rarely tread on the issue of understaffing or needed funding that is indicated in the audit. In a letter released with the audit yesterday, Davy said many of the recommendations are valid and would be taken into consideration as the new monitoring is rolled out, a process that will likely take several years. "We have studied the results, and I intend to use many of the recommendations of the audit as the Department moves forward," Davy wrote. She also invited the public to review the report and provide feedback. Further information on the report can be found at www.state.nj.us/education/news/2007/0817aud.htm. © 2007 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.