BRADENTON — Auditors tasked with monitoring a massive software implementation in the Manatee County School District were kept in the dark by school district administrators, and School Board directives to hire more staff to oversee the project were ignored, according to an update by the district’s internal auditor Tuesday evening.
Byron Shinn, the district’s internal auditor, said district management consistently ignored auditors’ concerns and understaffed the project, which more than doubled in cost and scope, going from an original budget of $10 million to more than $20 million as the district hit constant snags in the implementation.
Shinn and Audit Committee chairwoman Susan Agruso praised Superintendent Cynthia Saunders for transparency and availability. Saunders…
