Report 2017-104 Recommendation 13 Responses
Report 2017-104: Montebello Unified School District: County Superintendent Intervention Is Necessary to Address Its Weak Financial Management and Governance (Release Date: November 2017)
Recommendation #13 To: Montebello Unified School District
To ensure that Montebello creates employee positions only when necessary, it should establish a policy within 30 days that requires a justification for why the district is creating a position. Additionally, in order to maintain transparency when creating new positions, Montebello should immediately begin to document its justifications.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021
If the District creates positions, or follows the recommendation of the Personnel Commission to ensure compliance with rules, such positions are reviewed in advance, the job specifications are modified or updated, and this process is backed up by memoranda published and ultimately approved by the Personnel Commission and Board of Education. Personnel Commission dates and retains memoranda, notes changes in specifications and records them, and attempts to eliminate ambiguities and overlap in duties and responsibilities. Each position is filed electronically and dated.
- Completion Date: July 2021
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending
Montebello has not demonstrated that it updated its policy to require a justification for why the district is creating a position.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2020
MUSD has updated its policies to justify the creation of new positions and will continue to document its justification on personnel request & authorization forms as well as personnel requisition forms.
- Completion Date: July 2020
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending
Montebello has not updated its policy to require a justification for why the district is creating a position.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019
MUSD provides the Board of Education with written justification on why a position is being created as demonstrated by the documentation submitted. MUSD will continue to document its justification on personnel request & authorization forms as well as personnel requisition forms.
- Completion Date: February 2019
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending
Montebello has not updated its policy to require a justification for why the district is creating a position.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
1-Year Agency Response
MUSD will provide the Board of Education with written justification on why a position is being created as demonstrated by the recommendation on the Board agenda. MUSD will continue to document its justification on the personnel requisition forms.
- Completion Date: November 2018
- Response Date: November 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending
Montebello has not implemented our recommendation. It did not establish a policy that requires a justification for why the district is creating a position. Further, Montebello has not demonstrated that it records a justification for creating new positions on its personnel requisition forms.
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
6-Month Agency Response
MUSD has been focusing on best practices and is currently working on presenting the Board of Education with a policy that would provide justification on why a position is being created. Internally, Executive Cabinet has been guiding and providing coaching to administrators when new positions are being proposed, its impact to the budget, and the process and documentation to support said positions.
- Estimated Completion Date: 6/30/2018
- Response Date: May 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
60-Day Agency Response
MUSD will continue with the practice of requiring a valid justification on the personnel request forms for all assignments. The justification and funding source will continue to be included on all agendas presented for Board of Education approval.
- Completion Date: October 2017
- Response Date: December 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
Montebello has not demonstrated that it has established a policy that requires a justification for why the district is creating a position.
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
All Recommendations in 2017-104
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.