School committee adopts student activity procedures, moves to create deposit-clerk role and central interest fund

The Barnstable School Committee voted May 7 to adopt a newly compiled student activity procedures manual that standardizes accounting and oversight for school-run extracurricular funds and related revenue.

The manual, prepared with assistance from the Collins Center and an external audit, documents existing practices and adds recommended controls. Chris, the district finance presenter, told the committee the manual codifies procedures and adds checks to reduce fraud risk: "What this does is this creates separation of duties, which you don't want, is you don't want one individual responsible for taking in money and depositing money, because, you know, theft can, can occur," he said.

Why it matters: Student activity accounts can involve significant cashflow; the manual aims to ensure compliance with DESE guidance and to streamline responsibilities for advisors and school coordinators. The committee also agreed to two follow-up items: establish a paid deposit-clerk position at each school to handle bank deposits and reconciliations, and create an "unassigned revenue" account to collect interest on activity balances. District officials said interest in that account would be used to fund audits and similar central expenses rather than being pro-rated across dozens of small club accounts.

Committee members praised the consolidation as overdue. "It just puts it in one place so it makes it easier," said Mike, noting past confusion among advisers about where to deposit funds and how to request reimbursements. The committee approved the procedures manual by motion and asked administration to return with a job description for the deposit-clerk stipend and an amendment to policy JJF to permit the unassigned revenue account.

The manual will be distributed to advisors and coordinators at the start of the next school year with trainings scheduled for staff.