By STACY MILLBERG - Staff Writer - smillberg@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon
May 07, 2008 12:33 am
—
JEFFERSON — The Jefferson Area Local School District received several citations on its regular audit for fiscal year 2005, according to the audit released Tuesday by Auditor of State Mary Taylor’s Office.
In addition to the regular audit, a single audit looking at the district’s grant programs also was conducted, said Emily Frazee, deputy press secretary for the auditor’s office.
The district received a qualified opinion on the audit, meaning something occurred during the audit process that made it difficult to complete, Frazee said.
“We weren’t able to get a good picture of their financial standing,” she said.
Findings for the audit included one finding for recovery as a result of Treasurer Ed Williams having been overpaid.
“The treasurer was paid slightly higher than he should have been,” Frazee said. “It was an error and done inadvertently. There was no theft.”
Williams was overpaid in the amount of $498.17. The money has since been repaid to the district, she said.
Other findings included several documentation issues, including insufficient documentation for athletic events, including ticket sales.
“If we don’t have documentation of how the money was spent, we can’t get a good picture of their financial situation,” Frazee said.
Another documentation issue found in the audit was the absence of financial reports. The district is required to file a financial report with the auditor’s office each year but failed to do so.
The district also was found to be using money for funds it was not allocated to be used for.
“This is a relatively frequent citation within school districts in general,” Frazee said. “But it doesn’t by any means make it excusable.”
Money allocated for certain funds must be used for the purpose of the funds, she said.
“(The district) needs to make sure it is using the money for the purpose of the designated fund,” Frazee said.
The district also received a finding for expenditures exceeding its appropriations, meaning the district spent more than it budgeted for.
Other findings included the absence of cash reconciliations, and documenting and having the appropriate procedures in place for managing student activity funds and making sure those funds are properly accounted for, Frazee said.
Auditors also questioned the costs for one of the district’s grants.
“We noted the grant funds were not used according to the grant guidelines,” she said. “We were questioning whether $14,150 was the appropriate balance for that particular grant.”
Frazee said the district corrected the grant issue in April 2006.
Jefferson School District officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Frazee said the auditor’s office puts together the reports and findings to offer suggestions and procedures for the district to follow. The district was not penalized for the findings.
“It’s up to them to make these changes, and if they don’t, it will be reflected in their next audit,” Frazee said.
The full audit is available on the Auditor of State’s Web site www. auditor.state.oh.us.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.