Policy committee advances petty cash, district audit and procurement-card rules to full board

The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Policy Committee voted unanimously March 12 to advance three finance-related policies to the full board for consideration: petty cash (policy 6.17), district audit (policy 6.19) and a new procurement-card policy (policy 6.25) with an accompanying administrative regulation.

Committee members said the three documents mirror what the committee reviewed at its February meeting and include existing practices. The procurement-card policy would define who in the district may carry and use procurement cards, the authorized purposes for those cards and the internal controls and reconciliation procedures the business office will follow.

District staff said the procurement-card regulation requires an originating purchase document — for example a purchase order or prior approval — before a card is issued or used, and that business-office staff review invoices and reconcile receipts to billing statements. "The procurement card can only be used for authorized district purchases, can't be used for any personal purchases," a staff member said during the meeting. Staff also noted the district is the named party ultimately responsible for charges made on district cards.

A member of the public asked whether procurement cards will have dollar limits and who bears liability if an unauthorized purchase occurs. Staff replied that the cards are generally assigned to designated individuals and purchases are controlled by budgetary and purchasing approvals rather than a fixed per-card dollar cap: "The board's budgetary limits are always a limit no matter how you pay, whether it's with cash, a check, procurement card, or any other type of wire transfer payment," a staff member said. The administrative regulation will require attachment of receipts and review by the business office before payment and specifies disciplinary consequences for unauthorized purchases.

Committee members also confirmed earlier-second-reading items were unchanged since February: petty cash policy 6.17 (language stating petty cash "may be used for designated purposes so long as such funds are subject to adequate controls and safeguards as established by the superintendent or designee") and district audit policy 6.19.

After public comment and committee discussion, the committee moved to advance the set of policies to the full board. The committee used an affirmation vote and advanced the policies for consideration at the next board legislative meeting.

What happens next

The three items will appear on the full-board agenda for action. Committee members and staff said they will provide the full board with the revised administrative regulation for procurement cards and will confirm the policy language remains consistent with the business office's purchasing and audit practices.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to advance policies 6.17 (Petty cash), 6.19 (District audit) and 6.25 (Procurement cards) to the full board for action: approved by affirmation (committee vote: all in favor).