State audit clears RUSD's Measure O spending, faults it on transparency

The Riverside Record: The audit, ordered last year by State Senator Sabrina Cervantes, examined Measure O — the $392 million bond Riverside voters approved in 2016 to repair, upgrade, and build schools. The California State Auditor concluded neither the campaign materials nor the district's Long-Range Facilities Master Plan fully informed residents the funds might go toward new construction. It also flagged shifting project priorities, incomplete cost information presented by staff, and inconsistent communication about how much bond money the STEM expansion would draw. The auditor wants RUSD to set a consistent budget-presentation methodology by year's end and to require staff to verify trustee-approved allocations before spending. Board President Noemi Hernandez Alexander welcomed the findings and noted Measure O has built two new campuses; the district also points to an independent oversight committee that earlier cleared its spending. Separately, the audit found the joint STEM project with UC Riverside stalled for nearly a year over delayed decisions and unresolved negotiations, with the district pointing to UCR's decision to put the center on hold and UCR Chancellor S. Jack Hu attributing the stall to a "misperception."