A state audit found the Auburn Enlarged City School District did not properly manage and monitor building access accounts and security badges, creating the potential for unauthorized access to school buildings.
The audit by the New York State Comptroller’s Office reviewed the district’s building access system between July 1, 2024, and Nov. 30, 2025, with the review period extended through Jan. 29, 2026, to examine access activity logs.
According to the audit, the district uses an electronic access management system with 1,276 active building access accounts, including 828 assigned to current employees and 448 assigned to non-employees. Of the non-employee badges, 137 were shared devices. Each of the district’s eight school buildings has a single public entrance, while employees use secured entrances that require electronic badges.
Auditors concluded district officials did not adequately oversee access accounts and badges, increasing the risk that unauthorized individuals could enter school buildings and potentially jeopardize the safety of students, staff, and visitors.
Among the findings:
- Twenty-six employees and one non-employee each had two active access badges assigned to them.
- Thirty-two percent of the individual non-employee accounts reviewed remained active after they were no longer needed.
- Fifty-six percent of shared badges issued did not comply with the district’s building management procedures.
- Eighty-five percent of the shared badges reviewed were no longer needed.
Auditors found the district had procedures in place for creating access accounts for employees and non-employees but did not routinely review active accounts to determine whether they were still necessary. The report also concluded district officials failed to follow written procedures that assigned responsibility for managing accounts and monitoring badge issuance.
The Comptroller’s Office issued five recommendations aimed at improving oversight of building access accounts and security badges.
District officials generally agreed with the recommendations. Under state law, the Board of Education must submit a corrective action plan to the Comptroller’s Office within 90 days outlining how it will address the audit’s findings. The plan must also be posted on the district’s website for public review.
