State Auditor Rob Sand released a re-audit of the Oskaloosa Community School District on Friday.
In a press conference, Sand said his office examined the district for spending on coaching services, conflicts of interest in hiring practices, and a licensing issue with Superintendent Mike Fisher that resulted in him being overpaid for a two-week period.
According to Sand, the district paid 23 consultants more than $1 million over a three-year span.
“In some of these cases, there were no clear contract amounts or formal board discussions before they were paid,” Sand said.
The audit also uncovered more than $146,000 spent on a pilot program without board discussion, and that the district exceeded its budget for coaching services by more than $92,000.
Oskaloosa Schools released a statement after Sand’s press conference to explain the issues.
“At no point were funds spent without oversight or awareness. The overage occurred in part because the project evolved over time and did not initially have a detailed line-item budget, a gap that was corrected in April 2024,” the statement partially reads.
Sand said his office found no evidence of preferential treatment in the district’s hiring practices.
Additionally, the audit revealed a lapse in Superintendent Mike Fisher’s administrator license, which expired on November 30, 2025. Fisher submitted a renewal request on December 14, 2025. The auditor’s office said Fisher continued acting as superintendent despite his expired license and was improperly paid $8,115 during that time.
Oskaloosa Schools responded, “The superintendent’s license briefly expired, and the issue was resolved as soon as it was discovered. The lapse happened because the district’s reminder system was not sending renewal notices to administrators. That was corrected in December 2025, and all licensed staff will receive automatic reminders moving forward. Once the issue was identified, the superintendent took personal leave while it was reviewed, and his license was quickly reinstated.”
The district said Fisher has made arrangements to repay the $8,115 he received while his license was expired, and the money will be returned to the district.
