The Mountain Institute Career and Technical Education District (MICTED) appears to have hit a bit of a financial pothole, according to a recent report showcasing some concerning gaps in its fiscal and data management practices. The audit, published on June 28, exposed that while MICTED shelled out a hefty $3 million during the fiscal year 2022 for career and technical education programs, they failed to implement crucial accounting and IT safeguards that could potentially ward off errors, fraudulent activities, and threats of data loss.
It's a daunting challenge for a district that's supposed to prep students for the real world, but it seems the real lesson here may be in what not to do when managing sizable funds. The district also neglected to put in place any formal policies to govern their $2.4 million in accumulated fund balances and that's not a small oversight – it's massive, the report indicating a notable disconnect in the administration's approach to handling the financial resources at their disposal and not to say least about the control over outcomes.
MICTED didn't stop there; they overlooked a significant component that would enable them to back up their investments with hard data. The audit found that the district did not collect, validate, or effectively utilize key outcome data from its CTE programs – data that is essential to show how these programs help students get ready for high-need jobs in the workforce.
