Richmond, Calif. — Superintendent Gloria Johnston announced today that Governor Gray Davis signed legislation yesterday which cancels the state attendance audits of California school districts initiated by the State Controller’s Office (SCO).  The West Contra Costa Unified School District was the first district selected by the SCO for the re-audit of 1996-97 attendance records.  The district subsequently challenged the SCO’s findings in court.

“We thank the Governor and his administration for playing an active role in resolving this seven-year-old issue of the attendance audits, which has tied up our dollars that would have otherwise have been used for today’s students, ” said Dr. Johnston.  “We also owe many thanks to the numerous staff members and administrators who responded to the re-audit by providing records and information to the state.  Throughout this burdensome process they have stayed focused on our Literacy Initiative and have not been dissuaded from our common task of building a high-performing school district.

“In particular, I would like to especially thank Senator Tom Torlakson and Assemblywoman Dion Aroner for their unwavering support and leadership in resolving the attendance audit and relieving the district of a potential threat to our financial well-being.   Their persistence has resulted in huge dividends for our district and our students, and for that we will be forever grateful,” Dr. Johnston said “It’s been a long process, so the fact that we’ve finally reached resolution on this matter is of great satisfaction,” said Dr. Fred

Stewart, the district’s Fiscal Trustee. “Now the district can take the re-audit off its plate and move on with educating kids.”

Other organizations supporting the West Contra Costa Unified School District’s efforts to cancel the re-audit process include the California School Boards Association and the California Teachers Association.