PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A new state audit is raising red flags inside the Putnam County School District after auditors revealed that one district employee logged more than 31,000 miles on a district vehicle in just 10 months while also collecting thousands of dollars in mileage reimbursements.

Action News Jax Nicholas Brooks takes a closer look at how district leaders say they’re tightening controls.

A Florida Auditor General report found that the employee received $6,199 in mileage reimbursements despite extensive use of a district-owned vehicle. District officials said it should never have happened, and an internal investigation is now underway.

Superintendent Dr. Rick Surrency addressed the issue during Tuesday’s school board meeting.

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“As noted in the report, one instance of incorrect mileage reimbursement totaling $6199 was identified,” said Dr. Rick Surrency.

Surrency said the employee has since repaid the full amount and stressed that auditors did not accuse the employee of criminal wrongdoing.

“The Auditor General clearly stated this issue did not rise to the level of fraud. It was a deficiency in the documentation and monitoring process, not criminal intent,” said Dr. Rick Surrency.

The district launched an internal investigation “out of an abundance of caution,” but because the investigation is still active, Surrency declined to identify the employee.

When asked separately who the employee is, he said:

“At this time, we cannot make any comments regarding the identity or any details due to the ongoing investigation,” said Dr. Rick Surrency.

The superintendent also outlined several corrective actions now being implemented, including regular reviews of fuel logs and odometer readings, annual approvals for assigned vehicles, yearly inspections, and a new formal operating procedure governing vehicle use and mileage reimbursement.

The audit also noted that while the district maintains a fleet of 132 vehicles, 26 of them have gone unused for more than a year. Those vehicles are now expected to be declared surplus.

During Tuesday’s meeting, School Board Chair Phil Leary proposed reforms aimed at strengthening oversight of district vehicles. The board voted to approve the changes.

“Madame chairman, I would move that all district vehicles, excluding buses, have GPS monitoring device devices permanently installed,” said Phil Leary.

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Additional approved measures include:

• Requiring school board approval based on the superintendent’s recommendation for all permanently assigned district vehicles.

• Banning out-of-county commuting and any personal use of district vehicles.

• Mandating district decals on all vehicles for clear identification.

The mileage case is just one of 12 findings highlighted in the audit, which also cited issues ranging from outdated inventory controls to delays in canceling purchasing cards for former employees.

District leaders said corrective steps are already underway, and updates will continue as each item is addressed. Meanwhile, the internal investigation into the employee’s mileage claims remains open.

The audit identified 12 findings; below is the full list as detailed in the report:

Finding 1: District controls over motor vehicles and motor vehicle use could be enhanced.Finding 2: District controls over tangible personal property annual inventories and related records need improvement to ensure proper accountability.Finding 3: Contrary to State law, the District did not always promptly pay vendors.Finding 4: District controls did not always ensure purchasing cards were promptly canceled for employees who separated from District employment.Finding 5: The District did not always comply with State law requiring required graphical representations of summary financial efficiency data and fiscal trend information on its website.Finding 6: District controls over employee services could be enhanced.Finding 7: Construction administration procedures for multiple school projects did not include comparing pay requests with guaranteed maximum price contracts to ensure potential savings.Finding 8: District personnel did not attend subcontractor bid openings, verify competitive selection processes, or ensure subcontractor bid awards matched contract amounts.Finding 9: District records did not document the methodology or factors used to establish $8.9 million in general conditions costs, and monitoring procedures were lacking.Finding 10: Unnecessary IT user access privileges existed, increasing the risk of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive student information.Finding 11: Nine employees had incompatible or unnecessary IT access privileges, increasing the risk of unauthorized data modification or destruction.Finding 12: The District did not always promptly deactivate IT access privileges for employees who separated from district employment.

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