We found other instances where some districts report that they spent nothing for some major programs that are provided. We think that these inaccuracies continue to make School District Profiles misleading to policy makers, and we continue to question its usefulness. These may reduce some of the inaccurate reporting that we identified in our 1990 report. However, the editing procedures do not ensure that districts are reporting their expenditures completely and accurately in the first place. Conclusion Overall, we found that the Department of Education has made only limited progress in improving the quality of data that it collects on school district spending.
Much work remains to be done.
Nevertheless, if the department continues to collect and disseminate very detailed spending data from school districts, then it needs to ensure that those data are valid and reliable. However, I do believe that the efforts of the Department could be put in a more positive light and that the Department has made considerable progress toward obtaining accurate and timely accounting and reporting by the Minnesota school districts. This was done in conjunction with school district personnel so as to ensure that the resultant system serves the needs of both the school districts and the state. This was a first, necessary step before any other improvements are possible. Second, your report does point out that limited resources have been available in the Department for the area of financial management.