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What are They Hiding?
Austin ISD Attempts to Avoid Financial Scrutiny of Huffines Performance Review

(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Don Huffines today reported that the Austin Independent School District (AISD) is attempting to avoid scrutiny of how it spends local and state tax dollars by discontinuing cooperation in a performance review conducted by his office.

Huffines announced a performance review of a geographically diverse group of four school districts on Oct. 5: Austin, Barbers Hill, El Paso, and Prosper. Site visits conducted by Comptroller staff have been successfully completed in the other three districts; however, the Austin school district is now refusing to meet with agency auditors, according to their lawyer. 

“When politicians and bureaucrats attempt to prevent an investigation into how they spend money, it obviously raises serious questions about what they are hiding,” Huffines said. “Taxpayers deserve to know if their tax dollars are being stolen or wasted on administrative bloat and luxury trips instead of educating students in the classroom.

“I have news for the leadership of AISD. You can run, but you can’t hide. Our review will continue, and a full report will be published with or without your cooperation.”

The Huffines Performance Review of the four districts was requested by Gov. Greg Abbott and will be published by the end of the year to allow the Legislature to consider any resulting recommendations. If criminal wrongdoing is discovered during the review, it will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts serves as the chief financial officer — treasurer, check writer, tax collector, procurement officer, and revenue estimator — for the world's eighth-largest economy. The agency also administers statewide initiatives, including the Texas Broadband Development Office, State Energy Conservation Office, Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council, Texas college savings plans, and more.

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