Austin Independent School District announced Friday that it will no longer cooperate with the Texas Comptroller’s ongoing review of its spending. The district’s general counsel, Kenneth Walker, sent a four‑page letter stating that the comptroller’s office lacks clear authority to conduct extensive employee interviews and to request records that appear unrelated to the stated purpose of evaluating classroom and teacher funding.
District raises legal and procedural concerns
Walker’s letter asks whether the investigation can be completed fairly on the tight November‑9 to 13 timeline and why investigators are seeking the district’s library catalogue, policies governing human sexuality curriculum, and student identification data. He notes that the comptroller’s office initially indicated interest in interviewing about a dozen senior administrators, but on Nov. 5 expanded the request to more than 32 staff members, prompting the district to question the legal basis for such broad inquiries.
“Consequently, we respectfully discontinue our participation and will not be available next week for any site visits or interviews,” Walker wrote. The district also highlighted that Texas law requires public officials to provide books, records, and accounts during certain investigations, but does not expressly obligate them to submit to employee interviews.
Comptroller’s response
Comptroller Don Huffines, who was defeated by Sen. Sarah Eckhardt in the recent election, fired back on Monday, accusing Austin ISD of trying to avoid scrutiny. In a news release, Huffines said the review will continue and a full report will be published with or without district cooperation. He added, “You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Huffines’ office confirmed that investigators have already completed site visits at the three other districts under review and remain committed to finishing the audit before the Dec. 31 deadline, ahead of the next legislative session.
Political context and future outlook
The investigation was launched after Gov. Greg Abbott requested audits of up to four school districts to ensure taxpayer dollars are directed toward students, classrooms, and teachers rather than administrative expansion. With Huffines out of office, Sen. Eckhardt has indicated she will limit the reviews to school finances and will not pursue inquiries into library books or hiring policies.
Although Huffines remains in office until the end of his term, the upcoming transition raises uncertainty about the audit’s ultimate scope. Austin ISD left the door open to resume cooperation if the comptroller’s office addresses its concerns about authority and relevance.
District’s stance on transparency
Austin ISD maintains that it has already provided hundreds of pages of documents and expects investigators to interview 30‑40 employees for several hours each. The district argues that the current process offers no opportunity for follow‑up visits or a chance to review and respond to findings before publication, casting doubt on the accuracy of any final report.
“As of now, the process as described and the associated timeline cast significant doubt on the accuracy of any final product of this investigation,” Walker wrote. The district continues to stand firm on protecting its staff and ensuring that any review focuses squarely on legitimate school‑spending issues.
Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
