BALTIMORE — A legislative audit has uncovered critical shortcomings in the hiring practices of Baltimore City Public Schools, particularly concerning employees who interact with minors.
The audit, released recently, indicated that during fiscal year 2022, the school system employed approximately 1,550 individuals assigned to schools or student programs. However, an examination of 12 of these hires revealed that proper pre-screening was not conducted for seven of them as of October 23, 2023, with delays ranging from 296 to 436 days post-hire.
State law mandates that applicants for positions involving direct contact with children submit written disclosures regarding any past investigations for child sexual abuse or misconduct at previous jobs. Additionally, schools are required to verify these statements with prior employers.
In response to the audit's findings, the school system has outlined corrective measures to ensure compliance with these legal requirements.
Other notable issues identified in the audit included financial mismanagement, particularly regarding overtime payments to school police. The audit found that during fiscal year 2022, City Schools paid out $2.1 million in overtime for 82 officers, with many hours lacking the necessary pre-approval.
Furthermore, the audit reported that City Schools improperly awarded contracts worth $5.1 million, revealing errors in the evaluation process that favored a higher bid over a more competitive offer.
Delays in vendor payments were also a significant concern, with over 16,600 invoices totaling $142 million paid late, often due to staffing issues and incorrect routing of invoices.
This audit serves as a follow-up to a previous review conducted in October 2018, which identified similar issues. Auditors noted that while some findings from the previous audit were addressed, six issues have persisted and were reiterated in the current report.
Reported by HarborBeat based on WMAR 2 News (source).
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