Mason City School Board to discuss State Auditor’s special report at meeting tonight

MASON CITY — The Mason City School Board will meet in a workshop session tonight where they will discuss the recent release of a special investigation by the State Auditor’s office that showed over $2.2 million was not properly disbursed during an eight year period between July 2009 and August 2017.

The special investigation was requested by school board member Jodi Draper after an August 2017 report showed the district improperly disbursed just over $109,000 between July 2014 and June 2015.

The $2.2 million total includes: $1.3 million of contract salary issued to various school district administrators; $217,405 for the district’s share of FICA and IPERS on the improper payroll; $387,682 of district contributions to TSA accounts for various district administrators; $171,998 for the resignation package awarded to the former superintendent Anita Micich; and $117,551 of vacation balance payouts to various school district administrators.

The State Auditor’s office turned over copies of their special investigation to the Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s Office as well as the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, with the DCI confirming they are conducting a criminal investigation at the request of the county attorney.

The School Board will discuss the report in open session at tonight’s meeting and will listen to questions and comments from the public. The workshop session starts tonight at 5:30 at the Administration Building at 1515 South Pennsylvania.