Francis Howell School District officials were not transparent with the Board of Education and the public about the total cost of a new high school, according to a new report from the state auditor’s office.
Francis Howell North High School in St. Peters was originally slated to cost about $86 million to construct, but the price tag ballooned to over $164 million without the school board’s knowledge. The lack of transparency, oversight and communication earned the district a “poor” rating from the auditor’s office.
Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick launched the audit in April 2023 after school board members and district community members called for an investigation. The board conducted its own audit of the district and released a report in March 2023.
The school was funded by Prop S, which gave the district over $240 million in 2020 to upgrade buildings and facilities across the district. The audit states that there are 71 remaining projects that require additional funding but are now on pause due to the cost of the high school.
“This lack of transparency violated the trust of the people and created serious doubts about the district's ability to manage projects of this scale in the future,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.
The report states the board should’ve provided more careful oversight of the project by requesting more information from committees tasked with monitoring the contractors hired by the district.
According to the report, the board voted to approve a contract to work with a low-ranking project management firm after district officials implemented a rule requiring the district to hire a former employee to oversee the project.
“The audit notes the former employee the district wanted hired worked for this firm and the firm was owned by his brother. At a minimum, the awarding of this contract gives the appearance of bias towards a former employee and his brother's firm and a potential conflict of interest,” the report states.
The district said in a statement that the state audit does not reveal any new information compared to the internal audit conducted by the board.
“As with any audit, additional opportunities for improvement were identified, and many have already been addressed through new procedures and policies,” a school district spokesperson said in a statement. “We look forward to making continued improvements as we demonstrate our commitment to transparency and fiduciary responsibility.”
Francis Howell North High School opened this fall and the final demolition of the old school will be completed in 2025.
