It was a big day Friday for Mayor Adrian Fenty’s school takeover plan. For one, President Bush finally signed the bill into law which will give Fenty direct control over D.C. Schools. Fenty will need to wait until June 12 to assume full authority thanks to congressional review rules, but in the meantime, he is launching an extensive audit of the school system today to track down areas of financial waste and mismanagement.
The audit will cost about $3.2 million and will be conducted by the management consulting firms Alvarez & Marsal and McKinsey & Co. The Post reports that the city is soliciting private donations to help defray the cost. Given that we already know D.C. spends more money per student than any state in the region, it will certainly be illuminating to see the results of the audits.
Also Friday, D.C. Attorney General Linda Singer filed an appeal with the D.C. Superior Court to overturn the city’s Board of Elections and Ethics decision to allow a referendum petition to move forward. The appeal came just a few days after D.C. resident and experienced political activist Mary Spencer, along with her attorney Matthew Watson, accused the mayor of planning to delay filing his appeal until the last possible moment. The court will hear arguments Wednesday on the administration’s appeal.
Photo by nayr
