Audit committee urges filling internal audit position; board clarifies donation reporting rules
Summary
Robert Broom, audit committee chair, summarized recent audits and recommended filling at least one internal auditor position; board members asked about timeliness of cash documentation and clarified that all donations—cash and noncash—must appear on the district's public donations spreadsheet.
Robert Broom, chairman of the school board audit committee, reported to the finance committee on May‑meeting activities and recommended the board fill at least one internal auditor position as soon as a well‑qualified candidate is identified.
Broom said the committee reviewed internal audits of petty cash funds, teacher substitutes, activity bus drivers, maintenance, booster clubs, employee confidential information and donation records. He said no significant problems were identified but that issues were flagged for administrative action.
Board members pressed for improvements in the timeliness of documenting funds received at individual schools. Broom acknowledged this is a continuing challenge at some schools and said the committee and administration are working to close the time gap between receipt and bookkeeping documentation.
The committee also discussed donation reporting. A board member asked whether every donation must be posted online; the administration replied that both cash and noncash donations are recorded and that the central office keeps a spreadsheet that is posted to the website monthly. “You have to put every single donation on a website?” a board member asked; administration confirmed donations above de minimis items are tracked centrally, with limited exceptions for trivial items (for example, a parent bringing cupcakes).
Why it matters: internal audit capacity and clear donation reporting protect public funds and maintain transparency.
Next steps: the audit committee urged prompt hiring of an internal auditor and continued administrative attention to timely bookkeeping and public donation posting; staff said they will continue to post the donation spreadsheet monthly and work with school bookkeepers to shorten documentation delays.
