Board adopts procurement‑card policy and approves short‑term financial consulting agreement

The Columbus County Board of Education approved multiple finance items April 14, including a revised procurement‑card (P‑card) policy, a continuing budget resolution, and a memorandum of agreement to secure local financial consulting services.

Interim finance officer Michelle Kremer described the P‑card program's roles and controls and highlighted three spending rules: a $500 limit per transaction, a $2,500 monthly cap and a maximum of 14 transactions per day. The policy lists permissible uses (instructional and office supplies, approved travel expenses) and prohibitions (personal purchases, gift cards, cash advances, alcohol, entertainment such as bouncy houses), requires reconciliation and receipt retention for audit, and makes misuse grounds for personal liability. Kremer recommended changing wording in the packet from "may be responsible" to "shall be responsible" to make liability explicit; the board adopted that change and approved the policy, with implementation scheduled for the new fiscal year after staff training.

Kremer also reported a $22,145 transportation allotment revision from the state and recommended a continuing budget resolution to carry operations until the FY 2026–27 budget is adopted; the board approved the resolution. The board additionally approved a memorandum of agreement to secure financial consulting services from local consultants named in the packet to assist the interim finance officer with budget cleanup and reporting.

Board members discussed training, dual accounting during rollout, documentation timelines, and retaining records for five years for audit purposes. The policy will not start until the new fiscal year to allow staff training.