Accountability in the classroom and the equipment closet

SEATTLE Public Schools and state auditors disagree whether $500,000 or a lesser amount in school equipment was stolen, but the public rightly expects the district to be a better steward of resources.

Every school system faces challenges protecting its property but the largest district in the state faces a larger responsibility to lead the way toward solutions.

About $100,000 in equipment and electronics were found stolen or lost during an audit three years ago, including 45 cameras and projectors, desktop and laptop computers and an $8,000 widescreen television. A vacant school was stripped of pricey copper wiring; another of cash. A John Deere riding mower, valued at $34,000, disappeared.

The losses represent less than 5 percent of the district's 40,000-item inventory, nonetheless other things were troubling. Some of the thefts were not reported to state auditors, as required by law.

This is a problem of weak inventory control and reporting systems. The district must adopt an attitude that their money is the public's money. Anything less shows breath-taking contempt for anyone who ever voted for a levy to buy school equipment.

Improvements have been made. Understandably, the district wants to keep some security upgrades secret. Others include reporting vandalism and thefts to one place, the Safety and Security Office, which then reports to state auditors.

An internal auditor was hired two years ago to ensure the district complies with state auditing rules. State auditors say they are pleased with the improvements so far.

A challenge is that only a third of the inventory is counted each year; it can be three years before a missing item is noticed. For example, a grand piano reported missing or stolen turned up in the same school where it has been for 30 years. The bar-code tag had fallen off. But how difficult is it to locate a grand piano?

Here's another problem. As explained by a district official, items from School A transferred to School B are reflected on transfer paperwork but not on the overall inventory database. During inventory, School A may report missing items that are at School B but won't be counted until the latter school's inventory count. Linking the electronic bar-code system with other inventory-related data would reveal where items are located at a moment's notice.

The public deserves more respect. The next audit must show marked improvements.