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Caddo Parish pilots centralized bookkeeping for schools to shore up controls and staffing
Summary
Chief internal auditor Miss Oswalt described a pilot centralized bookkeeping program for elementary and middle schools, introduced three centralized finance specialists and a new hire, and said the shift aims to address retirement-related staffing shortages, improve segregation of duties, and increase electronic collections.
Caddo Parish School Board members heard a progress report on a pilot centralized bookkeeping program that moves school-level financial processing to district staff to strengthen internal controls and reduce risks tied to single-person bookkeepers.
Miss Oswalt, the district's chief internal auditor, said the pilot began in the 2023-24 school year to address a looming staffing shortage: many school bookkeepers have served 20 or more years, and the district lacks ready replacements. "We're moving them into the fold to make sure they do have secure places to lock up their money," Oswalt said, and added the centralized approach gives principals more time for instructional leadership.
She introduced the centralized finance specialists now serving the pilot: Ellen Baylor, Marshall Kavanagh, Vivian Hannah and Tanya Smith, who recently joined the team. Oswalt said three centralized bookkeepers currently cover multiple schools and are assigned by transaction volume, and the district plans to add more centralized staff as responsibilities are shifted from schools.
The audit report and staff discussion emphasized a push toward electronic transactions to reduce cash handling. Oswalt cited districtwide school collections of about $10 million annually, with roughly $5.2 million collected online, and encouraged expanding online receipts and pre-sales for fundraisers to reduce waste and improve documentation.
Operational changes and tools described include issuing PE cards (restricted purchasing cards) to schools that meet volume and audit-ready criteria, a point-of-sale system for concessions and ticketing, and use of the Arbiter system to schedule and pay officials. Oswalt explained the Arbiter workflow for officials: games get scheduled in Arbiter, referees sign vouchers at games, vouchers are scanned to the centralized bookkeepers and payments are matched and issued through the system.
Board members asked about supervision and separation of duties for centralized bookkeepers. Oswalt said she has been supervising the pilot team while it is being stood up but acknowledged the need to separate auditing and supervision for independence; officials said supervision will transition to the finance department to remove audit oversight conflicts.
Next steps: the district will continue phased rollout, expand the centralized staff as more schools are onboarded, provide targeted training (including for athletic business managers and Dr. Ellis, the athletic director), and shift further toward electronic workflows in a planned Phase Three that will reduce paper checks.
