District 65 Presents Plan to Close Financial Gaps
Chief financial officer Eric Miller outlined steps to address record-keeping weaknesses found in a forensic audit of the Evanston/Skokie school district.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Administration
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District 65 CFO Eric Miller presented a plan to close financial reporting gaps by the end of the school year. The plan follows a forensic audit that found weaknesses in district record-keeping and inconsistencies in savings estimates.
Why it matters
The audit followed the federal indictment and guilty plea of former Superintendent Devon Horton, who admitted to a kickback scheme funneling district contracts to friends. For Evanston residents, the reforms aim to restore confidence in how public school funds are tracked and spent.
The audit reviewed financial documents across four years, but its access was limited because data from retired systems, especially Alio, was hard to extract. Advance approval is now required for reimbursable purchases, and every contract request needs at least one additional approver.
The players
Devon Horton
Former superintendent of District 65 who pleaded guilty to felony charges of wire fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion tied to a kickback scheme.
Crowe
Consulting firm that completed the forensic audit of District 65's financial records.
The details
The district has restricted purchasing card use and now requires advance approval for reimbursable purchases. The consulting firm Crowe completed the audit, which the board requested in December 2025 after Horton's indictment.
Timeline
July 2020 through June 2023: Devon Horton served as superintendent.
December 2025: The board requested the forensic audit.
October 5: Horton pleaded guilty to wire fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion.
December: The district plans to complete a cumulative review of vendors and contract-limit tracking.
Administration Oversight
The reforms follow the federal indictment of former Superintendent Devon Horton, whose guilty plea stemmed from a kickback scheme that routed district contracts to his friends. The district's response centers on tightening contract approvals and purchasing controls after that case.
Families in the district should see stricter spending controls, as reimbursable purchases now need advance approval and contracts require extra sign-offs. Taxpayers can expect more visibility into how district funds are tracked as the reforms take effect.
The takeaway
Strong internal controls matter most after a breakdown in oversight, and the district's next steps will show whether these reforms hold. Residents can track progress as the planned procedures take shape over the coming school year.
What happens next
The district plans to create clear procedures for contracts, bidding exceptions and purchasing card offboarding by spring 2027, and to complete cross-training documentation by June 2027.
Further reading
Explore more education administration coverage to see how school districts manage budgets and oversight.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Evanston RoundTable.
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