Treasurer reports healthier cash balance; trustees press staff on OhioCheckbook, credit‑card charges and legal fees

The district treasurer told the board on April 28 that April’s financials left the district with a positive cash position and a projected best‑case ending balance of about $10.4 million, but trustees used the presentation to press for transparency on public online reporting, credit‑card use and legal‑fee spending.

Key takeaways from the financial presentation Treasurer’s report: The treasurer said the district’s cash balance had improved compared with the comparable month last year and that the district received a large portion of its real‑estate tax receipts in April; the current forecast projects about $10.4 million cash on hand (approximately 50 days of operating cash under the treasurer’s estimate), with a formal five‑year forecast figure previously cited at $8.4 million.

Trustee questions and staff responses - OhioCheckbook participation: Trustee Sheehan asked why the district’s OhioCheckbook listing (approved by the board in 2015) is no longer active. The treasurer said the site was considered redundant with existing public reporting (BoardDocs and public records) and that maintaining the OhioCheckbook entry creates additional workload; staff said the board could revisit the policy language if trustees want participation to be mandatory.

- Credit‑card charges and monthly interest: Trustees asked who holds district credit cards and why some statements show interest. The treasurer said about 20 cards are issued to administrators and departments; cards are reconciled by each cardholder. The treasurer said there had been fraudulent charges in November–December that required bank reconciliation, and staff were working with the bank to resolve lingering posting issues.

- Attorney and legal fees: Trustees expressed concern that legal fees have grown and asked about drivers of the increase. Staff said recent legal work includes contract questions, special‑education and student‑related matters, public‑records responses and the annual collective‑bargaining process; staff noted that earlier flat‑fee retainer arrangements did not cap additional billable hours and that heavier legal activity in negotiation and litigation periods raises monthly totals.

Board directions and requests Trustees asked staff to: (1) review the OhioCheckbook participation decision and, if desired, bring a recommendation back to the board on whether to reactivate the district’s listing; (2) provide a breakdown of the credit‑card statements and the bank’s resolution progress on fraudulent charges; and (3) provide more detail on recent legal invoices and whether flat retainer arrangements or alternative billing models are available.

Ending The treasurer said the district will continue refining forecasts and present additional detail next month; trustees signaled interest in a follow‑up board discussion about public financial transparency and legal‑spend management.