A Report on the Lack of Financial Accountability and Responsibility in the State's K-12 Public School System

Public officials sometimes fail to recognize looming fiscal crises in California's K-12 public school system and to take appropriate, immediate actions to avert them. This report examines the consequences of the State's failure to adequately monitor school district fiscal performance, including its effect on the education of students.

The Commission makes seven recommendations to improve controls over the education system, including expanding and defining the role of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in regard to financial accountability, increasing requirements for school district reporting and placing adequate controls on the use of funds by school districts.