Opinion: Right choice in independent probe

The Hillsborough County School Board made the right decision by choosing to have an outside firm investigate a whistle-blower's complaints. An internal probe would have lacked credibility and reflected poorly on the school district's commitment to eliminate any fraud or waste discovered in multimillion dollar school construction contracts.

More than money is at stake. The charge by former school operations director Doug Erwin that Hillsborough wasted up to $100-million is doubly explosive because Erwin claims his bosses were alerted to some abuses but resistant to reform. Leaving these two separate issues to an internal probe would have left open questions of a coverup.

An independent probe should help clear the air, spare school officials of unnecessary criticism and bolster public confidence that the school system is accountable. Board member Jack Lamb is right; the public needed to see the district move quickly to confront any allegations of fraud or mismanagement. Even if the $100-million is not found, outside accountants might provide the district with sound advice on how to manage contracts more responsibly. The district's task force of local building and finance professionals could still be put to use as a sounding board should the district institute any reforms. But what's needed first is an independent analysis of whether money was mismanaged. The board was smart to move in that direction.

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