Tulsa Public Schools responds to delay in audit release

Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) officials say they did not take legal action to stop the release of a state audit report, despite concerns over its timing.

TPS Board President Stacey Woolley said she did not expect the report to be made public so soon.

The district released a statement saying it was notified of the auditor’s plans through the media and had not yet seen the full report. The statement also noted that TPS has already addressed and strengthened many of the concerns raised by the auditor’s office.

Board to review report before responding

Woolley said the school board plans to use the next two weeks to review the full report and provide additional documents and information to the state auditor’s office. While she has seen portions of the report, she declined to share details, stating that the auditor’s office requested board members to refrain from discussing it until the full audit is officially released.

Woolley said the board’s expectation was for the report to come out in two weeks, and we made it clear that’s what we wanted to happen. She defended the delay, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the information is accurate.

Concerns about discrepancies, commitment to transparency

Woolley acknowledged the possibility of discrepancies in the report but said she remains committed to transparency.

“I believe that there are going to be findings that help us to improve in that transparency,” Woolley said. “Quite frankly, we are here on behalf of kids, we want to do what’s best for kids, and we also think that providing correct information is important to serving kids best.”

She added that the board will accept the audit’s findings and expects to identify areas for improvement.

"I do think that there are some points that the district needs to clarify with the state auditor--now she may still believe that everything that she shared with us today is completely accurate after they share that information--but I do think there is also the possibility that some of those things might change with a little more information," Woolley said.

Once the report is officially released to the public, Woolley said the board will be prepared to answer questions and provide further clarification on its contents.