001Good morning everyone and I just first want to thank you for the opportunity and allowing me to support you through this search for the board auditor. just to give a quick overview for anyone who may not be aware in the public, a board auditor serves as an independent internal auditor for the school district, reporting directly to our school board. This position is responsible for conducting audits, reviews, and investigations to ensure financial integrity, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and the effectiveness of internal controls across all departments and schools within the district. The board auditor provides objective analysis and recommendations to support accountability, transparency, and efficient use of public resources. So, human resources advertised the position of board auditor on June 29th, 2024 through November 30th, 2024 or due to the low applicant pool, we then
002readvertised this position from December 20th, 2024 through March 24th, 2025. In addition to our internal job posting, the position was advertised on LinkedIn and Indeed. The minimum qualifications were we used to screen for this position are also posted on the job description that was approved by the board and they are holding a bachelor's degree in accounting, auditing or related field. Certified public accountant or certified internal auditor required with licensing in the state of Florida. Preferred certifications include certified inspector general investigator, certified inspector general auditor or certified fraud examiner, eight years of audit experience and supervisory experience. With all of this and throughout the time that we had the port the position posted, we had a total of 14 applicants and three applicants made it to the top meeting the minimum requirements of this job description.
003Our then our compensation team conducted an analysis for this role. In a public records request that we did back in July 2024 for all salary data, only Orange County Public Schools identifies an audit position specific to the school board. And the annual salary for this position is 159,432. Florida GF Coast University has a director internal audit that performs very similar duties to a board auditor. The salary as of July 24th was 160,000. The city of Cape Coral is has a city auditor who reports directly to the city council and in 2024 they earned a salary of $176,488. Broward County School District also has a chief auditor that reports directly to the board, but in 2024 earned a salary of $165,000. ONET is mandated by or maintained by the US Department of Labor and is a
004site that is used by the federal government government to establish prevailing market pay. Unfortunately, ONET does not provide valuable information for position specific. We did go through ERRI and they provided a salary range of 140,000 to 243,6686 with a median of 186,233 for an internal audit director. No data was available specific to a board auditor. Based on comparable market data, the salary range for the board auditor position is between 160,000 through 185,000. And just a quick note, the salary information for positions that report directly to the board are not readily accessible. This is primarily because these roles are governed and evaluated by the board itself rather than through trans traditional administrative channels. As a result, compensation details for these positions are often handled separately and may not be publicly posted or maintained in the same
005systems as other district roles. This could present a challenge when conducting a comprehensive compensation analysis that includes these positions. Since the advertisement was posted for an extended period of time, our team contacted each person to find out each applicant to find out if they were still interested in being considered for the role. We then narrowed the list down to the candidates who met the minimum qualifications, which is how we arrived to those three candidates that I mentioned earlier. and they're on the screening rubric that had been shared with all of you today. Thank you for the presentation, Mr. Raer. Thank you again for all your help doing during this. It's been truly appreciated. So board, before we move further, unless anyone has objection, I think we should take a brief recess maybe so we can
006see if any of our other board members will be present for this. I only hesitate because this is obviously a decision and employee that will be decided by the board as a whole. So I would like to give them a little bit of time. So unless anyone objects, I'm going to take a brief recess. Okay. Going to recess at 10:08 and probably a fivem minute recess. Thank you everyone. I'm going to ask you. Do you want to give maybe like a couple more minutes cuz I think we're still in recess. Welcome back. We're going to rejoin the special board meeting. It's 10:22 a.m. We have been joined by some of our other board members. Miss Rivera, can you just give us like a 30 second recap again just so we're prepared to go move on
007to the next step? Thank you. Sure. Absolutely. just a 30 second recap. So, we did advertise this position twice. June 29th in 2024 through November in 2024 and then it was readvertised December 2024 through March 2025 due to the low applicant pool. So we did come out with 14 applicants and after our screening process which we utilized our minimum qualifications on the job description, we have three candidates that rose to the top that met the minimum qualifications for this position. We did talk a little bit about salary. I can go into just a little just this the highlight of what a recommended range was. So our compensation team did an analysis. They did some comparisons with some local agencies. Orange County Public Schools being one public school district that has this position. And the recommended
008salary we have for the board at this time in this position is between60,000 through 185,000 for this role. That Okay. Before I go into our discussion, do any of the board members have any questions? Okay, seeing none, can I ask you a question Miss Rivera? So, let's say we move forward with two applicants. What is best practice? So, HR best practice out in the field would say the recommended number of applicants we should look at our candidates are three just so we have a fair comparison. So, we would not recommend with moving forward with just two. Okay. I just wanted to make sure we had that on the record. So, thank you. So, board at this time, you've heard an overview of the process. We have three members that have applied. What we I want
009to do right now is have a discussion of how we want to move forward. And what I mean by that is we can decide, hey, we want to, you know, talk about these three applicants and then decide if we want to move forward to an interview process with them or do we want to go down the other selection of hey, do we want to figure out another way of getting more applicants? So, I'm going to turn the floor over to board members. I'd like to hear your feedback. So, if you feel that, you know, we're able to move forward with these three to review process or if you want to go a different route. So, just want to hear your thoughts and feedback on this. So, anyone? Yeah, I have a question. I'm a big
010proponent of promoting not interested anymore or is that the case? Let me double check. So, I also want to remind you we're only going to be discussing the applicants that meet the minimum qualifications at this point, too. Yeah. The only candidates that made it to the top were the three candidates who expressed interest and met the minimum qualifications of the job description. Go ahead, Miss Riddle. And then followed by Miss Juvenelli. I said, Mr. Ribble, do you still have a comment or you want me to come back to you? No, I'm I'm good. Okay. Go ahead, Miss Juvenile. I know you gave the salary information to the chair. No, she gave the salary information to all of us. Oh, is it is it in the email? In the presentation before, Miss Juven. Oh, okay. Where's
011that at then? She verbally. Okay. In the presentation. So, you have it's 160 to 105, right? But there was way more information. There was two too a front and back to the information of that. So, she read into the record. Okay. go ahead, sir. So, but initially back when this was initially advertised in July of last year, which were almost a year, there were more applicants that qualify qualified applicants at that time, but several probably have taken other positions in in that, you know, kind of thing or are not interested at this point in time. Am I correct? Can do you have an idea of how many of those applicants actually qualified? Yes, ma'am. You are correct. So, we had five applicants that had met the minimum qualifications and then two dropped out because they
012accepted other roles or were no longer interested. thank you. I hate kicking the can down the road any longer. So, it's I I feel it's very important to have an auditor. I think we once we do that and see the expectation of an internal auditor then I think we can re-evaluate the RSM piece of it or how often we would outsource to RSM because I don't believe an internal auditor can do everything that RSM has done at the capacity that they've done it. they have a team. So, but I it's vital to for me to have this internal audit position filled. and I hate to kick the can down the road. I personally, if we have three applicants that qualify, I would be more interested to to interview in all three. mainly because it's a
013great opportunity to see the differences of a style and how that would be compatible with the board as well as I would like the audit committee's input as because they've requested that and I don't think that we've if I was not at the last meeting because I was in Tallahassee you know what others thought about that just for feed back just to have a another viewpoint why I think the audit committee is critical at this point. but I think it's I think we should interview all three. That's my opinion since they all meet the minimum minimum qualification even if we do a zoom with all three of them or I don't that's what I would fall back on the expertise of HR and how how we would do that and facilitate that without having to
014bring them here. I think once we can narrow it down then then bring to here or or whatnot. That would be my opinion. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Juvenile. And just so you're aware, for that last meeting where we discussed the audit committee, it was eventually we as a board said that we're happy to take feedback from others, but we're not going to directly have any additional communication with the audit committee as a so as with anyone, the resumes will be posted and they're welcome to give their feedback. So, I just wanted to give you that update from that meeting. Okay. Anything else before I move on to somebody else? Miss Juvenelli. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Who's who else was next? Miss Jordan. Well, I at the meeting with the audit committee, I personally
015had asked that they look at this for feedback as well. So, I was not aware that we said that we would not have them have feedback at any time because I know I absolutely brought it because Miss Juvenelli had was not here and she brought it. I think Mr. Pre Bruno brought it for her and we had that conversation. But I did I know that they asked us and they are our audit committee not for them to choose anybody but to get feedback from them because of course they're the experts at this and even when we've done the and we I agree with Miss Susette over there regarding the three applicants because it is always better and we found that out when we were doing our superintendent searches and search after search that three is
016always a good number to begin with because eventually somebody's going to drop out or something's going to take place and then you're down to two. So I think three is definitely a good place for us to start and I'm good with the people that we have presently in inter starting the interview process but I do believe that we u could do individual and that's what we did with the superintendent. We had in individual conversations with them, each one of us, and then we pulled it all back together and brought in what we felt and had it as a whole whole conversations with them as well. Thank you. I would again refer back to that last meeting. We did give direction that we're happy to hear feedback from anyone, but it was not going to specifically
017from the audit committee back at our prior workshop when we discussed this. But thank you Miss Juvenelli. So explain to me why we so I apologize I missed that meeting but explain to me why we would not we have an audit committee that is to you know kind of bounce things back and forth have a different perspective a community's perspective for one why would we not why do we not want to even listen to and get their opinion on that and explain that to me because I don't know why we have And other than there is a reason because it's statutoilially the reason why we have one. So I kind of disagree with the decision to not at least utilize them. Doesn't mean they we have to but I would like to know their opinion.
018I mean I mean they're going to have one. So why wouldn't we want just to hear that? And that could that doesn't have to be publicly. That could be individually like you're saying. But I still think we should have maybe even just have them give us a re, you know, some feedback. It's just personal feedback. Explain to me why we don't want to do that. That was a direction of the board, not just me in that meeting. That was a discussion. Again, as I said, anyone in regards to that is welcome to give their feedback. And that's when we had that discussion previously and discussed it. I'd ask you to refer back to that meeting. If you do want to address that point, I'd suggest let's leave that to the end of this meeting because
019we need to get to other parts of the meeting. you already did give guidance and I appreciate that on where you see for these applicants. So I'd ask that we look at the guidance on these applicants first before we get to any further questions. Okay. Thank you. Anyone else want to Okay. I guess then I I'm sorry. just to make sure for the record Mr. Pson's position since he's not able to join us via the Zoom at this time. U Mr. My mic is on. There it is. Okay. I just wanted to make sure for the record that Mr. Personson's position is placed on the record because he did send an email and he's not able to join us right now. He did say I would be more comfortable pushing to get more applicants if
020HR thinks this is possible. I will give my position. obviously I agree Miss Juvenile. I don't want to keep kicking this down the road. Unfortunately, a lot of things happen. However, when I'm looking at it, me as an individual, I want to make sure we get the best person for this. I don't want to make a mistake in hiring. this is going to be our second employee we have and we really need to make sure we do our due diligence. So, after the applicants, I would not be comfortable at the moment moving forward with just these three. I would like to discuss further and again this is this is up to us as a whole further with HR of what we could do to try to garner some more applicants just because this is going
021to be such a significant position for us. I want to make sure we do it right. I get it. I want to get it done. That's why I scheduled this special meeting. That's why I set up if we need to have another special meeting soon. But that's me as an individual. That is my feedback on that. So did you have your hand, Mr. Ribble? Yes. Yeah, I totally agree with your comments. I think we should get some more applicants. Go ahead, Mr. Miller. Honestly, I would agree as well. I was disappointed. That's why I brought up the fact that we had more qualified applicants at the time, and I would like to have seen a better a larger pool that qualified. so I'm really not opposed to that. I just wanted to go on the
022record and say I hate kicking the king down the road because, you know, unfortunately, but I mean, and it and it has nothing to do with the applicants. I just would like to seen you know more more applicants. I mean I just I mean three is just very limited and I feel like it's tying our hands to the three and has nothing to do with that. I just would like to see like a you know a very you know robust pool that everybody was want want just jumping to work here. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Juvenile. Mrs. Chaviano. Yeah. So, I mean, I agree with everyone in the position of kicking the can. Is it possible to either work with like a head hunter or something to expedite this process to possibly review this next
023month? Because it has been so long since this position has been filled. Obviously, we do have the need to to increase the candidate pool. I know we put out asks and we open up wrecks and we do those things, but for this time bound urgency filling, is there an opportunity to do a head hunter of something of the sort to get more qualified minimum qualification candidates to increase our pool? So, Mrs. Chaviano, that Mr. River is prepared to kind of go over some of the alternates of Okay. would the board like to hear some of that first before we go forward with this part to hear what are some of the other options and how maybe HR could also try to get a bigger applicant pool if that's all right with you Miss Rivera? Yes
024absolutely. So we have two options for you today. the first one being you know HR can take a more robust approach to you know searching for this position. we can do a 30-day ad and we've also identified a website a job board site actually that is specific to people that are looking for audit type positions. What that would kind of what roughly look like is about $695 to post on that site for 30 days. So we can begin with that. We can also put some more some funds behind some social media ads as well and that would be roughly $350. but we can certainly be prepared to do that. We'll also engage you all in weekly updates through the board weekly updates and just give you know just letting you know where we are in
025the process and we'll continue having conversations frequent conversations with the chair in regarding where we are and just any kind of updates that are coming through this process. So that would be option one. The second option we could also engage with a search firm. We did put out we looked at some search firms that really specialize in this type of work and have heard back from one of the three that we reached out to and they quoted us around 100,000 to begin for for searching for this position. So, I haven't heard back from the other two, but as soon as I do, I can certainly present those to you all. Thank you, Miss Rivera. I appreciate that. So, we'll go back to you had the floor, Mrs. Javiano. Yeah. I mean, obviously in light of
026cost and the salary we have to pay for this position, I would be okay moving forward, I guess, with this 30-day strategy with the additional, I guess, social media advertising campaign targeting the specific role with a 30-day window, I'm guessing, at the same time. So something that we can review and possibly nail down next month and not can we agree like next month like what we get what we get because I think we're just going to keep pushing it down. That's up to Yeah, I'm fine with the first option not with the second. Is that all Mrs. Shaviano? That's it. Okay. Mrs. Langford Fleming. I agree with Miss Shavaniano. you know I would not be comfortable spending that kind of money on a headhunting position. I think what I'm hearing at the table is we
027all want to open the pool back up to make sure that we can really target this position, go at it a little bit harder, getting more applicants. I'm completely comfortable with that. But to perfect point that you made, Miss Shaviano, was can we agree that at the end of the 30 days, this is what we're going to go with? you know, like whether there's three, whether there's five, whether there's 15, because if there's three again, we're going to all have this conversation again. So, I feel like we need to at least kind of give ourselves a cap. I don't know if anybody else is comfortable with that, but I've heard multiple times the kicking of the can. So, I if if no one else comes to the table after this social media campaign, and these
028are our three applicants, and by the way, for record, I've read the resumes. They're exceptional. This is nothing to do with these three individuals. I just think that we need to do our due diligence and make sure that we are pulling or giving opportunity to others to also apply that just may not even know that this is an opportunity here at the district. That's all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Jordan. So, from what I understand, so it's around $800 approximately for the cost for what you were just speaking about for the 30 days. But then remember too after the 30 days and I agree with both of you after the 30 days we need to do something because after the 30 days we may not have these three correct we have
029to realize that may happen as well. So just going forward you know after 30 days we're going to come back and we'll know at that point what we have. So thank you. I'm gonna ask a question then Mr. Rivera. I know we kind of talked about this, but what about utilizing we talked a little bit about FSBA trying to get through some other different outlets perhaps, right? Yes. we reached out to FSBA just, you know, we're waiting to hear back. They're not one of the three that I mentioned. They're not a search firm for this type of role, but just to get some ideas of of where we could. we've also we're going to be reaching out to Orange County Public Schools as well and just to find out how it was that they recruited
030their person to see if if we can follow suit. Okay. cuz yeah that was kind of my thoughts would be to utilize you know as I said whatever other outlet like Mr. River just said whether it's through Orange County whether it's FSBA to get as much as we can with that. So I mean I would be comfortable coming back in 30 days but I don't want to 100% put that because maybe we have one applicant at that point. So I would individually caution that but as I said I don't want to keep kicking down the can down the road. That's why I have set up if we need be another special meeting in two or three weeks if something were to come up. though. and I will do my best and my due diligence to
031make sure that we keep going on this process. Miss Langford Fleming. first of all, before I forget, I want to thank our chair for going through the efforts he's gone to to get this to get us this far in this it's a I'm sure it's a lot of work, but I agree with the with what you just said. I would prefer to have a special meeting within two weeks to discuss this again because we don't want to lose I 30 days is a little I think it's just a little too long. But that's all I had just meant if we if we need to at that point. I meant we're just keeping meetings open. I don't know if we're going to give the 30 days. I'd probably go close to 30 days and we can
032all figure out what date best date works best. Sorry, tongue twister right now for everyone right now. So, as I said, I would be comfortable going forward with the option from Mr. Rivera indicating that we would not be you know perhaps maybe send make sure we tell these three applicants hey you know we're still interested in you as a pool but we're still we're opening up the application pool and we're going to try to you know go through the next 30 days for another advertisement I guess so I mean obviously the letter not not in depth that you know how to do what I meant by that but I meant that we're telling them we're still you know we're not we're still keeping a position I have a question since we're kind of bouncing back
033and forth with if we lose what we have and again as Miss Lingford Fleming said what we have I've I've read all the resumes and they are great. Is there a possibility or an option to start the interviews with who we have and then anyone that comes in with minimum add them into the mix. I would ask Miss Rivera for her thoughts on that, please. We could do that. The only thing we risk is we're going to be adding applicants through the screening process. So, we're going to have to continue looking at that. I mean, but we can definitely do that. It's nothing. So, I'm going to ask the board members right now. at this point in this meeting, do we want to move forward with these three applicants? or do we wish to the
034other option being do we want to gather more applicants? That's the ultimate question right now. I thought we were driving towards getting more applicants, but that's how the conversation was going. Agree, but I want to make sure whatever our board obviously what their direction is. Want to make sure we're clear on that. Okay. It's like I think I'm I'm all for continuing the job search for this position. and I'm confident HR is going to do the followup with these three applicants, making sure that they know that we are still very interested, but we need to extend our our weeks just by a few. This is Chaviano. Oh, I thought you had your hand up. Sorry, this juvenile. Historically, how many applicants what are our chances of getting the same amount in the next two weeks
035versus 30 days? What's the like I mean I know this is like a random question and not kind of out there a little bit but I mean I just don't I'm 30 days 15 days I don't know what is there that is that a big difference? it could be a big difference and it's because it's such a unique position, we don't have anything really to compare it to because the applicant pool is so specialized, right? but you could open it up tomorrow and we may get the perfect person apply or you may, you know, wait 29 days and get, you know, a dozen people more apply. So, it just really it's it's going to be hard. It's hard to to really say. Thank you. You're welcome. I mean I think I'm gonna go with the
036consensus with the board and continue to give a little more time to see if we can get more applicants. If not, I do think we have to do as the lady said down the end. I mean, I agree, we have to do a drop deadad date at this point, you know, cuz Miss Rivera, what would be the process once we made a decision on someone? What would be the process of getting getting them hired? When would when would they be working for us like as a board and we'd be able like what is that time frame? What does that look like? So, we would want to work backwards, you know, look at your board meetings and, you know, see what we can do and work at your calendar. So, it's really going to depend on
037all that. So, let's say and we close the position in in 30 days. roughly maybe by July, June, you know, at the earliest. thinking of, you know, getting all your together for your interviews and really thinking about all those processes. That's really going to be probably the safest bet. Right. Right. So, we probably looking at them everything in for August for us like technically the beginning of school year. Yes, ma'am. So, right now we have a small window still. I think a little window ultimately that would be I guess August is having someone sitting in the meeting somewhere from that point on. All right. Thank you Mrs. Javiano. So if we move forward obviously move with the 30 days that would put us at May 8th. At that point, once we close this wreck position,
038how long will it take to complete kind of your assessment, your review, and giving us our top candidates that meet that minimum qualification? What's that turnaround time? So, we would be screening as the position is open. So, we don't we're not going to wait until May 8th to you know, you know, do all the screening. So, it would be probably after May 8th, I would say maybe a 24 to 48 hour turnaround back to the chair. as regards to who are the candidates that meet the minimum qualifications and then did that answer your question or okay so yeah so as things have been coming in they have been there's a screen and whatever and that's why I said I've been passing on resumes unfortunately they haven't been until recently that many so but the process
039then we'd be looking at would be and I believe Miss Jordan had mentioned this would be similar to when they dealt with superintendent and board attorney that we'd have you know individ we'd have individual one-on-one each other meetings with this person then having a meeting you know with them out in the dis us as a whole with them and then we figure out how we go forward that process do as I said I don't want to kick the can down the road either I've been you know we've all been pushing for a board I do want to remind us we still have RSM so I don't want to rush and you know hey something happens we hire the wrong person I just want to make sure we get that right person so that's as I
040said I want to make sure we're doing what is best for the district so I just want to remind everyone that I understand the urgency I agree with it's gotten kicked down the road unfortunately because of mother nature and transitions through the administration. But as I said, I just want to make sure remind everyone that me personally, I would be in favor of at least going the 30 days, see where we're at and depending on everyone's schedule, we can usually turn around a special meeting or workshop if need be fairly quickly. So board members, do we have a consensus on that? Yes. Okay. Does that follow enough? Is that good for necessary guidance, madam board attorney? And I was going to Yes, Mr. Chairman. The other thing and I was about to ask this looks
041like Dr. Carllins was chime in. Even so, you are this will not be your employee. I'd like to hear if there's anything you wish from us or wish to hear or any other comments on the matter. No, thank you for the communication today. I think we have proper guidance from the board and based on what I heard from Miss Rivera, I think we're ready to proceed. So, thank you for the conversation. We appreciate it. Miss Rivera, is there anything else you need from us at the moment? Not at this point, but thank you. Okay. I'm going to move on then. Let's see. We've already addressed next steps. We've addressed items. anything else before I get to go to the order, madam board attorney? No, Mr. Chairman. Okay. And is there anything you wanted to I
042forgot to ask anything in regards to your thoughts on the process or anything you wish to? No, I had a thought, but the board actually cleared the thought in their discussion. So, not necessary for me to say anything. Okay. I'm going to move to good of the order. board member comment. Does anyone have any comments or anything else they wish to discuss in regards to this? Okay. I want to truly thank everyone. I want to thank again Mr. River and HR. We truly appreciate it. we will, you know, we will do our best to keep this going. I'm excited to to finally get a board order. I think it's going to be amazing thing for this district. So, just want to thank everyone for that. and at this point, having no other business to come
043before this body and seeing no objection, this meeting is hereby adjourned. The time is 10:51 and I will see everyone in 35 minutes. Thank you.