Legal Battle Vs. The State of California
An investigation on VVUSD school funding began when audits performed by the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) found inconsistentcies in financial aid papers filed by Val Verde administrators. A top official at the state’s Office of Public School Construction said her office was looking into whether there were any "material inaccuracies" or false certifications in the paperwork the Perris-area district submitted in recent years to get financial aid to build its schools.
Further investigations by OPSC found that VVUSD had recklessly spent state funds on the purchasing of unneeded amenities, such as: large weight rooms, artificial turf, locker room whirlpools, helicopter pads, and elaborate sports arenas.
The Val Verde Unified School District has been a financial hardship district since the beginning of the School Facilities Program. In the last review of their financial hardship status renewal, OPSC indicated that the district had approximately $90 million available in COPs to contribute towards their next projects.
The District filed an appeal to the SAB, arguing that the funds were not available because the grants were inadequate and they were forced to pass COPs to complete and improve previously approved financial hardship projects. On July 25, 2007, the State Allocation Board ruled against Val Verde Unified with a vote of 9-0. The board further ruled that VVUSD must repay the State for past-funding and that they'll no longer be able to self-certify their projects.
Read more about this topic: Val Verde Unified School District
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