DPI Superintendent Dodges Accountability, Sends Staff in Her Place to Discuss School Financial Records Audit
MADISON – Senator Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto) and Representative Robert Wittke (R-Caledonia) released the following statement after DPI Superintendent Jill Underly did not appear before the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to discuss the results of a recent audit, which found shortcomings in how her Department collects, processes, and addresses annual financial reports for school districts across Wisconsin:
“In our time as co-chairs of the Audit Committee, Superintendent Underly is the first department head who has failed to appear before us when invited to discuss an audit. What can possibly be more important to her than ensuring transparency in how our schools spend and report their funds?
Although she was available to appear and in the State Capitol, Superintendent Underly simply chose not to face questions on very serious financial matters. Instead, our absent state superintendent sent her deputies to handle a matter she had an obligation to do herself as the leader of DPI.
Wisconsin’s students, parents, and taxpayers deserve responsible leadership of our schools, and Superintendent Underly betrays their trust by believing she can pick and choose which crises she chooses to address.”
This is the third time Superintendent Underly was invited to address the Audit Committee, but failed to appear.
The audit found DPI lacks necessary written policies for reviewing school financial data, ensuring school districts submit their financial statements on time, and contacting districts that submit their statements past DPI’s established annual reporting deadline. The audit also found significant shortcomings in how DPI works with schools to address repeated deficiencies in their reports, and does not even begin to review the reports for an average of 74.7 days after its established deadline.
