The Missouri State Auditor’s office recently released the long awaited audit of Francis Howell School District’s handling of Proposition S construction bond funds.  Conservative School Board member Randy Cook and Francis Howell Families had publicly called for an outside audit of the school district after the cost of the new Francis Howell North High School (FHN) nearly doubled from the original estimate of approximately $86 million to over $164 million!

Despite pushback by school district administrators and members of the 2019-2022 NEA-controlled School Board that an internal review eliminated any need for an outside audit, the audit results identified several significant findings with the district’s internal controls and compliance for Prop S.

  • Misled the Public: The old NEA-controlled School Board promoted Prop S with marketing materials that used a false $86.5 million price tag for FHN versus the $91.5 million original estimate from the architect.
  • Kept Secrets from the Public: District leadership and at least one board member had regular knowledge of increased FHN cost estimates that were kept from the public.
  • Cronyism: The previous NEA-controlled School Board disregarded the district’s own evaluations and selected a project manager based on an unwritten requirement that a former district employee must be used.
  • Favoritism: The NEA-controlled School Board failed to request qualifications for a Prop S architect as required. They also didn’t use a competitive bid process, instead approving the architect based on a previous relationship with the school district.

We would like to thank Randy Cook and the current conservative school board majority for pushing for the outside audit. The state audit was not announced until AFTER the Francis Howell Families endorsed candidates got a majority in April 2023, as the old NEA-controlled School Board was not interested in asking for an outside audit.  The current conservative school board now includes two civil engineers, a small-business owner, and two MBA holders. Their expertise and experience is still needed to restore proper oversight and fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers!

You can find a copy of the Missouri State Auditor’s report by Clicking Here

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How You Can Help

1️⃣ Vote on April 8th, 2025: Add it to your calendar (Choose: iCal / Outlook / Google) and remember to make your voice heard.
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Francis Howell Families Endorses Randy Cook and Ashley Sturm for FHSD School Board