Prosecutors look into school construction in Orange County (Fla.) district

From The Orlando Sentinel: Prosecutors have launched an investigation into Orange County (Fla.) Public Schools amid growing turmoil over management practices in the district's construction division. The investigation by the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office follows an internal district audit showing shoddy and haphazard management of millions of dollars in construction contracts.

MAY 2010...from The Orlando Sentinel: The Orange County (Fla.) School Board has voted to hire an independent auditor to investigate its construction and purchasing departments. The departments have been under fire after an April audit criticized some district construction managers for sloppy and haphazard management of millions of dollars worth of routine construction and maintenance projects at many of the district's 180 campuses. APRIL 2010...from The Orlando Sentinel: An in-house audit of the Orange County (Fla.) district criticizes administrators for sloppy and haphazard control over millions of dollars' worth of routine construction and maintenance projects on the district's 180 campuses. The report found that the district has had no formal system of checks and balances over how contractors for smaller construction and maintenance projects file estimates, charge for work or get paid. The lack of such a system has meant that at least one contractor has been able to charge whatever he deemed appropriate without an initial district review of those costs.