The Office of the Inspector General Promotes Integrity within the School District

Posted on October 17, 2022
Categories: Blog, Insights with the Board

Working to promote integrity within the School District of Philadelphia is a little known department: the Office of the Inspector General. In 2019, the Board reestablished the OIG as an independent entity charged with investigating and reporting on fraud, waste and abuse within the School District.

While most employees are honest, hard-working people dedicated to providing an excellent education to all students, occasionally employee misconduct occurs. This is when the OIG steps in to investigate allegations of fraud, waste or misconduct. If criminal conduct is uncovered, the OIG works with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The office also conducts audits and reviews of School District departments, contracts and facilities to ensure maximum efficiency and use of taxpayer money.  As a result of their work, the OIG often recommends policy and procedural changes to enhance efficiency within the District.

“Our work only succeeds with the cooperation and support of our employees, the School District’s vendors and members of the public,” said Jayme Naberezny, the SDP Inspector General. “Every employee is responsible for reporting misconduct and corruption, and we urge you to contact us if you suspect fraud, waste or misconduct.”

Employees can report a complaint to the OIG in person, by phone, a website form, or via email or U.S. mail. See the contact information below:

Phone: 215-400-4030
Anonymous Tip Line: 215-400-8477
Website: Incident Reporting Form
Email: inspectorgeneral@philasd.org
Address:
Office of the Inspector General
School District of Philadelphia
440 North Broad Street, Suite 1066
Philadelphia, PA 19130

“Please reach out even if you are unsure that the OIG is the right place to bring your concern,” Ms. Naberezny said. “If we’re unable to investigate the issue, we will refer your concern to the proper authority.”

The OIG makes public its audits and investigative reports, which can be found on its webpage here: https://www.philasd.org/inspectorgeneral/audits-reports/.