MIAMI.- Six months after a public money embezzlement scandal, the Miami-Dade County School Board received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting (COE) awarded by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023.
According to a press release from the Board, the report, which was evaluated by an impartial panel, meets the program’s high standards and demonstrates a “spirit of full disclosure” that facilitates clear communication of financial history.
The Certificate of Achievement is the highest recognition in the area of government accounting and financial reporting. This distinction represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its administration. This is the 39th consecutive year that the District has received this prestigious award.
In January 2024, news broke of the arrest of former Board member Lubby Navarro, accused of embezzling over $100,000 in public money and personal purchases and pleasure trips. The question on everyone’s mind was how this could have happened without setting off alarm bells. At the time, it was said that no audits were conducted on Board members.
Even District 1 Representative Dr. Steven Gallon III recommended auditing all Board members since 2019.
Furthermore, one of the requirements for obtaining the aforementioned award is that the comprehensive annual financial report includes a report from an independent auditor.
“In addition to being awarded the Certificate, the Comptroller’s office received the Financial Reporting Achievement Award, which is given to a department whose contribution has been instrumental in the government agency being awarded this certificate,” the statement said.
GFOA is a nonprofit organization serving more than 21,000 financial officers in the United States and Canada.
(email protected)