District reports increased training, infractions model and ERP plans to tighten student body funds controls

The audit committee received a status update on implementing recommendations from the student body funds audit.

Chief Financial Officer Michelle Morrison said the district has focused on in‑person and on‑the‑job training for school bookkeepers and business managers, added one full‑time staff member to support schools, and introduced an asynchronous training module (referred to as the “Pepper” platform) that staff must complete before receiving EPES accounting system access.

Morrison described a standardized infraction model tied to school procurement card (PE‑card) usage and late or missing reconciliations that can lead to progressive discipline or denial of card privileges. She said staff hope to leverage planned ERP functionality to provide better, integrated support to schools that maintain independent student body fund accounts.

Janice Hansen (internal performance auditor) said she will review documentation staff recently sent and will circulate an updated tracker within a week that grays out items she can confirm as implemented so the committee can see validated closures before year‑end.

Committee members raised practical concerns about usability, asking whether training would also aim to streamline processes for student clubs that find the access workflow burdensome; Morrison said the priority has been controls but she will ask staff to consider more streamlined access within proper control frameworks.

What’s next: internal audit will confirm implemented items and report back with an updated validated tracker; staff will continue rolling out targeted training and ERP‑based tools.