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Committee flags high utility bills, contracts and p-card controls in transparency report
Summary
Committee members questioned high utility invoices and small-purchase controls during a review of the monthly transparency report, highlighted a $7,016.12 water bill for Ladies Island Middle and a nearly $65,000 Dominion Energy bill for May River High, and reviewed larger contract payments including Ajax Building and Catapult Learning.
During its Dec. 5 meeting the Beaufort County Board of Education Finance Committee reviewed the district's monthly transparency report and raised questions about high utility bills, small p-card purchases, and several large contracts.
Chair highlighted invoice 639 from Buford Jasper Water & Sewer for Ladies Island Middle School at $7,016.12 and asked operations staff to investigate the cause; staff said some schools experienced leaks and agreed to schedule an operations--finance meeting to answer the committee's questions.
The committee also discussed a Dominion Energy bill for May River High School billed at $64,986.64, significantly above other large schools. Operations staff said construction features and prior HVAC reviews are being examined and recommended a more rigorous energy review.
Small purchases drew scrutiny after the chair asked about a $9.98 p-card purchase at Saint Helena Elementary. Purchasing staff explained the p-card can be authorized for event-related purchases and may list multiple vendors for a single event to avoid repeated approvals; documentation and sign-in sheets are required to support refreshment purchases. The chair expressed concern about balancing accountability with staff workload: "I don't want to lose accountability," the chair said, adding the process must also be efficient.
Committee members reviewed larger payments in the consolidated report, including payments to Ajax Building Company totaling $369,256.94 and a Catapult Learning intervention contract at about $592,000. Staff said Catapult Learning services are funded through a mix of special revenue (ATSI/CSI), state EIA funding, and the general fund and that further funding details will be provided.
Finance staff also described a planned change to the district's timekeeping system: the district is implementing an Executime module from Tyler Technologies (replacement of Novatime) and expects kiosk and clock replacements over the winter with implementation by mid-to-late spring.
The committee voted unanimously to recommend OE 6.1'6.8 to the full board; that item will be placed on the next full board consent agenda.
