Schools for the Deaf and the Blind over budget this year

SALT LAKE CITY — A new audit from the Utah State Board of Education recommends sweeping reforms to the finances and data management of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, after auditors discovered the schools were already over budget for the state fiscal year.

Starting with page one, auditors note a “lack of competence” in multiple areas at USDB, including financial management and data record-keeping.

“… There is a lack of a cohesive and intentional financial strategy for achieving the objectives of the USDB as outlined in state law which is further characterized by inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and unreliable reporting which obscures information for board governance,” the audit reads. “Additionally, the USDB has over-expended its budget for state fiscal year (SFY) 2025.