Broward schools get DOGE warning before scheduled vote on laptops
South Florida Sun Sentinel | By Scott Travis |
As the Broward School Board considers a highly scrutinized $115 million contract for laptops, the state’s attorney general is warning that school district contracts may be part of an effort to DOGE local governments.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced July 22 that his office was working with Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia to review county governments for possible wasteful or inappropriate spending, with Broward County being the first target. No mention was made initially of the Broward County School District, which is a separate government agency than the county government and has its own taxing authority.
But Attorney General James Uthmeier weighed in specifically on the school district in a Friday afternoon post on the social media network X.
“In light of Gov DeSantis’ and CFO Ingoglia’s DOGE efforts to identify waste, fraud, and abuse in local governments, our office has heard concerns regarding Broward County’s large contract awards, including at the Broward County School Board,” Uthmeier wrote. “We will support DOGE’s investigation and hold any bad actors accountable.”
Uthmeier didn’t list a specific contract, and his office couldn’t be reached on Monday.
Uthmeier’s post came days before the School Board had planned to vote on a five-year $115 million technology contract.
The contract would go primarily to HP and would be used to purchase take-home laptops for a new initiative the district is planning for the upcoming school year. It was on the agenda for a special meeting on Tuesday, but the item was removed Monday evening.
The district’s effort to buy computers has faced two years of delays, as well as complaints from vendors and School Board members about whether the bidding process is fair to all vendors.
The School Board rejected all bids the first two times the contract went out to bid. The latest contract was scheduled to be voted on May 13, but got withdrawn the day of the meeting. A district spokesman later confirmed that the county’s Office of the Inspector General was investigating the contract.
Although that investigation appears to still be active, district administrators decided last week to still put the contract back on the agenda for Tuesday.
Superintendent Howard Hepburn told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Thursday that the district also had conducted its own internal review.
“We reviewed the whole entire procurement process and we didn’t see any red flags,” Hepburn said, adding it wasn’t a written investigation but “a review.”
“The Inspector General, they have their own timeline. We’ve checked in with them,” Hepburn said. “They’ve pretty much requested the same documents we reviewed. If at any time the Inspector General does find something, we will take immediate action.”
Inspector General Carol “Jodie” Breece declined to comment to the Sun Sentinel, citing confidentiality requirements for pending or open inquiries.
The contract was on Tuesday’s agenda until Monday evening when it was withdrawn with no explanation. School Board member Adam Cervers told the Sun Sentinel earlier that day it should be postponed.
“The IG has an active investigation. How are you going to vote on something when you have an open investigation?” Cervera said. “If it’s under investigation, you’ve got to allow that process to play out.”
After Uthmeier posted his concerns on Friday, district spokesman John Sullivan said the district would work with the state.
“Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is fully transparent and welcomes any review. We will fully cooperate with the State and any other relevant agencies,” Sullivan said. “Since assuming the role of Superintendent, Dr. Hepburn has proactively identified operational efficiencies and implemented cost-saving measures to ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively and responsibly.
“BCPS remains firmly committed to the responsible stewardship of public funds and takes all concerns seriously,” Sullivan said. “We have not seen or received any evidence suggesting wrongdoing with our contracts. The Superintendent will immediately hold staff accountable if any wrongdoing is found.”
The district had initially planned to issue take-home laptops to students near the start of the school year, which is Aug. 11. Even if the contract is approved, the district still would be delayed in distributing the devices to students, Hepburn said.
