The Joint Legislative Audit Committee voted Monday to direct the Arizona Auditor General to conduct two special audits focused on student safety and the use of taxpayer dollars, according to a statement from Chairman Matt Gress.
One audit will be the fourth special review of school safety practices and will include the Phoenix Union High School District following serious campus violence incidents, including the stabbing death of a student at Maryvale High School. As part of a broader statewide examination, the Auditor General will evaluate whether schools have adopted and followed emergency response policies, properly investigated student safety allegations, and complied with Arizona’s mandatory reporting laws.
The committee also approved a special audit of Arizona’s administration and oversight of the federal Child Care and Development Fund, a program primarily administered by the Arizona Department of Economic Security that provides child care assistance to qualifying families. Arizona spent approximately $573 million in federal funding during fiscal year 2024. Previous State Single Audit findings identified deficiencies involving provider oversight, questioned costs, and reporting. The review comes as federal officials are warning of fraud and abuse in publicly funded assistance programs across the country. In Minnesota, charges were recently announced against 15 defendants in alleged fraud schemes involving more than $90 million in intended losses related to state and federally funded child care assistance programs. Federal officials have raised concerns about similar risks in other states.
The Auditor General’s review will examine approval and monitoring of child care providers, oversight responsibilities among state agencies, and accuracy and propriety of program expenditures during fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The review may also include participating providers or any additional areas identified by the Auditor General.
“JLAC took bipartisan action to get answers on two issues that matter to Arizona families,” Chairman Matt Gress said. “Parents deserve to know whether schools are prepared to respond to credible threats and whether serious safety concerns are being handled properly. Taxpayers deserve to know whether hundreds of millions of federal child care dollars are being managed responsibly. These important audits will establish the facts, identify gaps, and help us determine what needs to change.” Gress added, “The fraud scandals unfolding in other states are a warning sign. Arizona should not wait for a crisis before asking hard questions. When hundreds of millions of dollars flow through a program, strong oversight is not optional. This audit will help determine whether taxpayer dollars are protected, safeguards are working, and child care assistance is reaching the families it is meant to serve.”
The school safety audit was approved unanimously by JLAC members; it will begin after completion of an ongoing third school safety special audit and is scheduled for completion on or before December 31, 2027. The Child Care and Development Fund audit will focus on higher-risk areas during COVID-19 pandemic periods through post-pandemic years.
Gress was elected as a Republican member representing Arizona’s 4th House District in 2023, according to www.azleg.gov.
