Auditor Fitzpatrick says the Francis Howell School District is making progress to implement findings from a 2024 audit that found the district lacked transparency and adequate communication

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick says the Francis Howell R-III School District is making solid progress to address the findings of a 2024 audit that gave the district a "poor" rating as it identified serious issues with the way the construction of the Francis Howell North High School was managed. The original audit examined the factors that led to the cost of the new high school nearly doubling, while also reviewing other aspects of how the district is run.

"The mismanagement of the Francis Howell North High School construction project created serious doubts about the district's ability to manage a large scale construction project effectively, and the audit report we released in 2024 was meant to give district officials a path forward to regain the public's trust. I'm pleased to see the progress the district has made as it has clearly taken our recommendations seriously and has worked, or is working, to put all of them into effect," said Auditor Fitzpatrick. "There is still more work to be done but I'm encouraged by the progress we've seen and hopeful such costly mistakes will not be repeated."

The original audit report found district officials were not transparent with the Board or the public about cost estimates for the new high school, and the follow-up report notes the district is improving the level of communication as the Executive Director of Facilities and Operations (EDFO) now provides weekly/bi-weekly reports to the Superintendent's cabinet on bond-funded and other capital projects. Pertinent information from the cabinet reports is shared with the Board weekly and information provided to the Board is also available to the public as part of the Board meeting agendas posted to the district website. Additionally, the EDFO has started providing a quarterly construction progress presentation during open Board meetings in February, May, August, and November.

The finding from the 2024 audit report that detailed how district officials improperly limited competition for Prop S project management services by requiring firms to hire a former district employee as project manager is also being addressed by the district. The follow-up finds the Purchasing Manager now oversees the procurement process. The Purchasing Manager oversees informal and formal bid processes including evaluation, negotiations, and recommendations to the Board. The Board requested qualifications for architectural services in May 2024, and approved a firm recommended by district personnel after the Board reviewed qualification and interview documents. The district used both the "design, bid, build" method and cooperative purchasing for current projects.

The follow-up finds the district is still in the process of addressing the 2024 finding that noted 22 schools for the 2022-2023 school year had missing, improperly timed, or undocumented intruder, fire, tornado, and earthquake drills, and safety audits did not initially detect these issues. The follow-up found 16 schools had missing drills and/or errors. However, the district conducted safety audits for all 23 schools for the 2024-2025 school year and engaged a firm to conduct a third-party assessment over safety and security. The Board is currently reviewing the assessment recommendations and is in the process of implementing changes, including the hiring of Director of Safety and Security to ensure regular safety drills occur. The district also began tracking safety drills electronically for increased visibility and accountability for the 2025-2026 school year.

The follow-up report also notes the district has implemented recommendations to limit access to attendance records and improve attendance coding and training procedures. The district has also established formal annual leave schedules for senior administration employees and now requires employees to maintain a vehicle usage log and submit the log monthly to the payroll department for processing. The follow-up also finds the district is currently working to improve oversight of accounting and cash handling procedures at school buildings.

The follow-up report for the Francis Howell R-III School District is available here. The original audit report is available here.