Audit's findings reveal minor problems for BOE
A state-sponsored audit of the Montgomery County Board of Education revealed only minor issues, and the school system in tends to make minor adjust ments in response.
Superintendent Barbara Thompson informed the Alaba ma Department of Examiners of Public Accounts that her admi nistration would make the changes necessary to comply with the rules.
The audit found that the sys tem improperly used public funds when post-game meals were purchased for players and coaches on several occasions at two of the high schools tested. Public funds only should be used for pre-game meals, ac cording to the audit.
"In most of the instances iden tified, the post-game meal was the only meal provided. While it seems illogical that a post-game meal would be prohibited if there were no pre-game meal, the school system will certainly adhere to the guidelines estab lished by the examiners," Thompson wrote in the correc tive action plan.
The audit also found fault with how some schools paid coaching supplements to non-employees of the Board of Edu cation. From now on, those indi viduals will be put on the pay roll at central office.
Central office also will pro vide regular training to school bookkeepers and principals on the proper procedures for col lecting money and issuing receipts at the schools. The audit found that teachers were col lecting money but then not issu ing receipts properly and not al ways turning the money over in a timely manner.
The audit also cited a problem with how purchase orders were being done at some schools. At some schools, invoices were be ing dated before the purchase order date, which is a reversal of how it should be.
"We are very pleased with the findings of the audit. The minor issues that we were cited for are things many (large) school sys tems struggle with," said MPS spokesman Tom Salter. "We have and continue to have train ing for local school bookkeepers and principals to ensure they follow the rules and do every thing possible to protect the public's money."
Overall, the audit, which analyzed the time from Oct. 1, 2008, through Sept. 30, 2009, indi cated that MPS was in financial good health.
But the information gleaned from the audit is not likely to help board members as they be gin to prepare the budget for the 2011 fiscal year, said board vice president Melissa Snowden.
On the other hand, Snowden said a recent performance study done by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama will be a valuable tool to board mem bers as they evaluate the sys tem's use of resources in the coming months.
"It will help us see where we need to focus our attention and our money, (so we can) really look and see where our dollars are going. We need to ask our selves, is our budget geared to ward student achievement?" Snowden said.
"If we're focused on math, for instance, and our curriculum is all over the board and we don't have a focus, then we're just wasting money," she added. "I think that's how all seven board members can be on the same page and want the same thing."
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