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State Auditor Rob Sand on Wednesday said his office has received a qualifying legislative request from Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, to review the Iowa Department of Education and the Board of Educational Examiners’ (BOEE) licensing and background check procedures for educators.

The request was made under Iowa Code 11.5C, which allows legislators to trigger reviews of state agencies.

In his Oct. 22 letter, Bisignano urged the audit in light of the licensing of former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts, who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in late September after federal officials said his work authorization had expired in 2020. Roberts

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