Friends of Lee County Public Schools,

I’d like to take this opportunity to address something that has received attention in our community – that is the questioning of oversight and accountability within the District.

Some have made accusations and hinted at impropriety, continually using information that is several years old. All of which is an attempt to try to cast our District – and staff – in a negative light.

I can assure you that these accusations are baseless and are void of any merit.

Our District undergoes numerous audits annually that review both the academic and business sides of the operation. Some of those include, but are not limited to:

* Annual Financial audit;

* Annual Operations audit;

* Annual School Funds audit;

* Transportation audit;

* Program Cost Reporting audits;

* Food Services audits;

* Cuthill and Eddy external construction audit;

* No Child Left Behind audit;

* Exceptional Student Education (ESE) audit;

* English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) audit;

* Title I audit;

* Personnel Audits;

* and FEFP/FTE (funding) audits; just to name a few.

In addition, we are regularly visited by the Florida Auditor General’s staff who review various aspects of our operations and finances. In the past six years, after undergoing numerous audits, including those by the Florida Auditor General’s office, there has been absolutely no evidence of fraud or mismanagement found, contrary to what some individuals would like you to believe.

Have there been findings where our practices were not what they should be? Yes.

Have we addressed those findings to implement changes to ensure we are doing is right and ensure we have better controls over our procedures? Without question.

Will we continue to monitor what we do and how we do it – to include any and all audits – and make the necessary changes to ensure maximum efficiency as we protect the local taxpayers? Of course.

That is exactly what we have been doing the past six years – ensuring that we adhere to the best business practices is something the School Board and I are committed to doing.

I would invite anyone in our community to review any audit that the District has undergone for the past six years and see for yourself – in black and white – that we are acting responsibly.

There are some serious issues facing our District over the next few years; and we need serious people who are committed to public education to assist us as we move forward.

As superintendent of schools, I am committed to doing whatever I can to ensure we follow best business practices and make any necessary changes to ensure we do the right thing for our children and the taxpayers of our community.

Dr. James Browder

Superintendent of Schools

Fort Myers