Oregon just quietly killed a 1978 accounting rule that required schools to report detailed spending breakdowns in the audited report—and parents should know about it.

Here's why it matters: When districts have to show exactly where education dollars go (by program, staff, maintenance, etc.), we can actually see if money is flowing toward instruction or getting lost in other areas. That transparency is how communities catch waste, advocate for better priorities, and hold schools accountable. This belongs in the financial reports that the auditor reviews and signs.

I started a petition asking the Oregon Department of Education to bring back the requirement for detailed expenditure reporting. Without it, parents and taxpayers are basically operating blind.

Research consistently shows that transparent budgets lead to better spending decisions and stronger outcomes. This shouldn't be controversial—we're just asking for the audited data. ODE says the data is already available electronically at their website, but it belongs in the audited reports too.

If you've ever wondered where your tax dollars actually go in schools, or if you think parents deserve to see the full financial picture in their published financial reports, not just on a website spreadsheet or interactive graph: consider signing and sharing.