Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) officials have not conducted a full physical inventory in almost 10 years. A recent audit of the CSDE, which looked at the fiscal years ending on June 30, 2023, and 2024, found that the Department has not completed a full physical inventory since the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015. This was one of 15 findings identified in this audit.

Every government department in Connecticut is required to conduct a full inventory of its physical assets every year. According to the auditor’s report, this is to ensure accurate property control records.

During the 2023 fiscal year, CSDE reported a $15.9 million balance on its inventory form. CSDE officials only reported $11.7 million on that same form in 2024.  

“Due in part to staffing challenges, the inventory process was not completed. We plan to conduct a full inventory within the next six months,” the CSDE said in response to this finding. “During this process, we will assess any training needs and coordinate with the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) to ensure staff receive training as necessary.”

Auditors additionally identified “a lack of management oversight” as a contributing factor.

The CSDE also did not complete the audits of software inventory during this time period, auditors found. The auditors once again identified “a lack of management oversight” as a contributing factor. Unlike the failure to complete the physical inventory, this was not a repeat finding.

These weren’t the only reporting problems auditors identified. They reviewed all 77 CSDE reporting requirements due during the audited period and found that the department did not maintain evidence that it properly submitted 49 of these required reports. Additionally, 13 reporters were submitted between 13 days and over a year late.

“The Department disagrees with the audit’s reported number of non-transmitted legislative reports and maintains records of 35 legislative reports completed during the audit period. Of these, 25 were transmitted via email to the appropriate legislative recipients,” the department wrote in its response. The response went on to say, “While some reports may not have been properly transmitted via email to the Connecticut General Assembly, many were presented in detail to the State Board of Education and subsequently posted on the Department’s website, ensuring public accessibility. Finally, it is important to note that the timelines for certain required reports do not always align with the academic year, which presents challenges in compiling data and information on an annual basis as mandated by statute.”

Department officials blamed these oversights in part on staffing shortages. Staffing issues are a common response by agency officials in response to audit findings, having been mentioned in the last year by the Department of Correction, State Elections Enforcement Commision, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Office of Early Childhood, and the Department of Public Health, among others.

The auditors additionally wrote in their report that they were not given evidence of the email submissions department officials claimed had happened.

“If the department feels that it is difficult to meet certain reporting deadlines, it should seek legislative changes,” the auditors wrote in their conclusion of this finding.

Since this audit period ended, the CSDE has hired a Coordinator of Systemic Implementation to track and monitor all reports required by state law.

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