Previous Story
OPA monitors PSS fund raising
|
Posted on Dec 24 1998
The submission of financial reports on fund-raising activities at schools, as required by the Board of Education, should be strictly followed in the Public School System.
A report from the Office of the Public Auditor asks the Commissioner of Education to order Marianas High School to comply with this BOE policy requiring principals to provide a full accounting of receipts and disbursements of fund-raising activities.
This recommendation came after OPA failed to gather pertinent records at MHS in trying to resolve issues about the $5,069 misappropriated funds.
Existing records were inadequate to show the facts on whatever happened to this money that was paid back by its former principal and custodian which both took place during school year 1991 to 1992.
The school also missed to identify the student organizations which were deprived of funding.
The audit work showed that fund custodians at MHS were ignorant of accounting and maintaining money. Earlier recommendations were offered by OPA to help MHS account for its public funding, however, custodians failed to follow them.
“As a result, the correct balance of the student funds remain unaccounted for,” the report said.
In a letter to the Public Auditor Leo LaMotte, Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos has agreed with OPA’s findings and will direct MHS to submit quarterly financial status reports.
Likewise, MHS will be required to account balances that reconcile with the bank.
Inos offered to deposit future funds in the special MHS account to be maintained by the central office accounting staff.
