Mountain View Whisman superintendent positive favored to journey on taxpayers’ dime – Palo Alto Daily Post

BY ELAINE GOODMAN
Daily Post Correspondent

The Mountain View Whisman School District has launched an auditor’s report on district spending, together with the hiring of an “energy healer” to assist workers meditate and former Superintendent Ayinde Rudolph’s stays at luxurious motels.

The audit was performed by a state-funded company referred to as the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, or FCMAT. The college board is scheduled to debate the report on Thursday (Aug. 21).

Auditors discovered inadequate proof to point that fraud, misappropriation of funds or different unlawful fiscal practices might have occurred in the course of the interval examined: July 1, 2022 by means of the tip of October 2024, when Rudolph resigned. But the report sheds mild on Rudolph’s actions whereas he was superintendent, significantly concerning journey.

In 2023, Rudolph traveled to eight conferences. Three had been in California and others had been in Dallas, Denver, San Antonio, Birmingham, Ala. and Washington, D.C. From January to October 2024, Rudolph took seven journeys, together with two visits to New York City and one other journey to Washington, D.C.

He stated rental automobile was too small

In January 2024, Rudolph went to Palm Springs for an Association of California School Administrators convention. Auditors needed to know why his Hertz rental automobile invoice included a $300 improve cost. The whole for the four-day rental was $1,119.

Rudolph informed auditors that the full-size automobile that Hertz initially offered was “too small to comfortably accommodate both him and his luggage, especially given his height,” the report stated. He upgraded to an SUV. FCMAT was glad with Rudolph’s clarification.

Rudolph additionally traveled to New York City from Feb. 18-26, 2024 to conduct analysis for the district’s “Re-Imagining Castro” initiative. The three-year program is meant to provide additional assist to college students at Castro Elementary School, which has a excessive variety of English learners, low-income households and homeless college students.

Rudolph was joined on that journey by two college board members, three district directors and a instructor, in keeping with the auditor’s report, which didn’t identify the opposite vacationers. They deliberate to go to colleges the place the coed physique was much like that of Castro.

The group stayed on the JW Marriott Essex House subsequent to Central Park at charges starting from $455 to $709 per night time, not together with taxes and costs, the report stated. The fee different relying on the attendee. 

What did NYC journey accomplish?

But a number of of the colleges the group had deliberate to go to had been closed for winter break when the Mountain View group was there. They had been in a position to go to not less than one constitution college within the space for his or her analysis, the report stated.

Rudolph informed auditors that the lodge was chosen due to its location close to cultural sights “that could enhance the educational purpose of the trip.”

“FCMAT did not further assess whether the stated purpose of the trip was accomplished or whether the Re-Imagine Castro initiative was a valid educational priority for the district,” the auditors wrote.

Another time Rudolph booked a luxurious lodge was in late 2023, when he stayed on the St. Regis in San Francisco in the course of the California School Boards Association convention. He informed auditors that he needed to remain within the metropolis as a result of the convention periods began early and so he might “maximize participation” within the convention.

Auditors additionally reviewed 337 costs on Rudolph’s district bank card. For 44 of the fees, totaling $6,957, Rudolph offered no receipt to substantiate the cost. Instead, he submitted a district kind that claims he wasn’t in a position to flip in a receipt as a result of it was misplaced, by accident destroyed or wasn’t itemized. The individual filling out the shape writes a brief clarification of the cost and agrees with a press release that “no alcoholic beverages or tobacco products were purchased.”

Most of the fees with no receipt had been for meals or parking whereas Rudolph traveled.

‘Food’ turned out to be cigars

In March 2024, there have been two costs from Cigar Bar NY, for $49.49 and $64.24. Rudolph stated on the shape the fees had been for meals.

During a March 2024 journey to Washington D.C. for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development annual convention, Rudolph used his bank card to pay $76 to TG Cigar. He didn’t file a receipt for the cost, however stated on the district kind that the fee was for lunch.

“No tobacco or alcohol purchases using district funds were identified,” FCMAT stated in its report.

On July 26, 2022, there have been two costs with out receipts from Shoreline Golf. Rudolph stated a $3,830 cost was for “room rental for leadership retreat.” A cost of $360 was for “leadership team food for retreat.”

The Santa Clara County colleges superintendent employed FCMAT to do the audit, agreeing to pay as much as $65,000 for the work. 

Parents began digging by means of district funds in May 2024 after Rudolph proposed lowering the variety of intervals in center college.

One expenditure that raised eyebrows was when the district employed “master energy healer” Alycia Diggs-Chavis of Blue Violet Energy, who charged greater than $1,000 a session to meditate with principals and assistant superintendents.

FCMAT stated it’s not unusual for organizations to search for methods to scale back office stress.

“Accordingly, FCMAT determined that, although somewhat unconventional, the retention of meditation services can best be classified as a local decision, subject to review and approval by the district’s governing board but not otherwise specifically prohibited,” the auditors wrote.