After a successful bond election Nov. 5, Conroe ISD welcomed its new internal audit manager.

On Nov. 6, the CISD Audit Committee heard from its new internal auditor, Brian Hayden, a former contractor with Houston ISD with 15 years of auditing experience.

Hayden said the first thing he looks for will be construction risk for elementary schools, looking for potential savings by switching to a competitive sealed proposal, which means the district may negotiate contracts by comparing offers from various contractors.

“One of the things is we’ve built enough elementary schools now, and we feel maybe the risk is a lot less,” Hayden said. “We want to really look at the numbers, do some other auditing and see if there would be savings and what that savings would be.”

According to CISD’s website, the internal audit department helps the district with “analyses, appraisals, recommendations, counsel and information concerning the activities reviewed.” Hayden said he wants the district to be “risk-focused, not fund-focused.” His department will use what remains of the year to audit current activity funds as well as review high school projects.