Audit committee advances mobile-crisis review, asks LBA to draft school‑level special‑education scope

The Legislative Performance Audit and Oversight Committee voted to make the Mobile Crisis Intervention program at the Department of Health and Human Services the next performance audit and directed the Legislative Budget Assistant to draft a scope of work for audits of local school districts' special-education performance.

The motions were made during the committee's regular meeting. A member moved that the LBA start drafting a scope for school-level special-education audits to be available for review by May so the committee could refine it after a statewide special-education report is released; Senator Rosenwald seconded the motion and the chair recorded unanimous approval. Later the committee moved to prioritize a limited-scope audit of the Mobile Crisis Intervention program to fit the LBA's staffing capacity and voted in favor.

The actions come amid sustained concern from members about wide variation in special-education rates across districts and unresolved questions about program effectiveness. One member noted some districts have dramatically higher special-ed rates and asked whether districts are being incentivized to label students as special education; another member said school-level reviews could reveal why some districts control costs while achieving student outcomes and others do not.

LBA staff told the committee that the audit team most familiar with special education will be tied up finishing a statewide special-education audit through the spring; two auditors highlighted as becoming available in May or June could begin new, smaller-scope work. The committee discussed a phased approach: approve a narrow or spot-check scope now and expand it if findings warrant.

Members also requested that DHHS leaders and contract administrators be invited to a future meeting to explain how the department ensures contract fulfillment and to discuss vacancy and staffing levels in DHHS contract management units.

Votes at a glance: acceptance of the meeting minutes was moved by Representative Weber and seconded by Senator Lang (three abstentions recorded); the motion asking LBA to draft a special-education scope was moved and seconded and recorded as approved by voice vote; the motion to prioritize the Mobile Crisis Intervention audit was approved by voice vote.

Next steps: the committee asked the LBA to queue the special-education scope drafting and to prepare for the Mobile Crisis Intervention audit; DHHS leadership was invited to brief the committee at a subsequent meeting. The committee set the next meeting for March 6 at 9:00 a.m.