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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=3>To: All Superintendents, District Business
Officials<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=3>Re: District Best Business
Practices Advisory Committee<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT
face=Arial>Summary: This communication provides an update on advisory committee
activities, including the audit of Multnomah ESD, and requests school districts
to volunteer for an audit of business practice
areas.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>As you know, the Oregon
Legislature created the District Best Business Practices Advisory Committee
(DBBPAC) to advise the Department of Education (ODE) on the development of a
system for auditing the business practices of school districts and education
service districts (HB 3141, 2007).<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>Since its formation in
October 2007, the DBBPAC has recommended audit criteria in the areas of new
construction and purchasing and contracting. The committee is currently working
on food services and will take up the area of transportation in November. Other
business practices to be considered are grounds maintenance, building and
systems maintenance, and financial practices. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>Committee information
posted online includes detailed meeting minutes, best practices criteria
recommended by the DBBPAC and approved by the ODE, and other resources related
to best practices:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><A
href="http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1637"><FONT
face=Arial>http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1637</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>The committee also
recommended that all audits have two guiding
principles:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>First, an audit
identifies the positive accomplishments of a district in achieving sound
business operations to ensure fiscal responsibility, taking into account local
priorities and objectives, in order to share best practices identified in the
audit with all school districts and ESDs in the development of a toolkit to
serve district boards, administrators and business
officials.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>Second, an audit
identifies the area in which a school district could improve its practice and
gives the district ideas for how to remedy these areas. Ideas can come from
National State Auditors Association Standards or equivalent resources, or the
Best Practices toolkit developed from audits of other school
districts.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>Multnomah Education
Service District volunteered for the first audit. ODE contracted with the
Secretary of State to conduct the audit of purchasing practices, which is
currently in the report drafting stage. The audit report will be available
during the week of November 15, 2008 on the Secretary of State’s website at
</FONT><A href="http://www.sos.state.or.us/audits/reports/index.html"><FONT
face=Arial>http://www.sos.state.or.us/audits/reports/index.html</FONT></A><FONT
face=Arial>.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>The DBBPAC is seeking
additional school districts and ESDs that would like to volunteer for an audit
in the business practice areas with adopted criteria. The committee is looking
for diversity in size and geographic location.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>For more information,
contact Adrienne Sexton, Office of the
Superintendent<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
face=Arial>Adrienne.Sexton@state.or.us <</FONT><A
href="mailto:Adrienne.Sexton@state.or.us"><FONT
face=Arial>mailto:Adrienne.Sexton@state.or.us</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>>
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT face=Arial>(503)
947-5887</FONT></SPAN></P></DIV><p>**********************************************************************<br />This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and<br />intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they<br />are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify<br />the sender immediately and delete the communication and any attachments.</p><p>This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by<br />MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses.<br />**********************************************************************</p>
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