By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Asbury Park school district auditor Robert Allison gave a partial auditors report to the Board of Education because some documentation is still being held by law enforcement officials.
Allison said there were certain portions of this years report that could not be completed because the documentation had been removed by law enforcement officials for an investigation that has yet to be completed or resolved.
In February of 2007 officials from the state attorney generals office and the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office showed up at Central Administration and carted away boxes of documents from Suspended Superintendent of Schools Antonio Lewis office.
Lewis has been on paid suspension since September 2006.
At that time documents were also removed from Central Administration offices.
Allison said the audit reflected an opinion as a whole on the document except for certain things.
Records removed by the state could not be reviewed, he said.
The general fund balance as of June 30 was $1,740,385.92, with a debt service fund of $12,281.07.
Government funds totaled $1,607,761.16.
Allison said the board has $900,000 or 1.5 percent of its budget in surplus.
He said the maximum surplus allowed per district is 2 percent.
Allison said he went over the audit in detail with the finance committee in February.
Board Member Adrienne Sanders asked about monthly reports not being filed in a timely manner.
State Financial monitor Mark Cowell said now that the audit has been completed, monthly reports can be filed.
There is a domino effect, he said, because other reports were not filed monthly as they should have been.
Cowell said a new POS or Point of Sale computer program is being implemented in the district which will rectify the situation.
He said the system should be used throughout the district.
The audit was closed down in February once the ledger is brought up to date it all ties together.
The board secretarys and treasurers report had not been filed promptly during the past year.
With the new system, Cowell said all entries should be posted weekly.
A corrective action plan recommended by the auditor was approved by the board.
Some of the recommendations include making all employee contracts available for audit; maintaining the districts general ledger accurately and timely; making all budget transfers according to state guidelines with approval by the board; and making all purchase orders available for audit.
Recommendations relating to the food service program included filing free and reduced price meals from federal and state agencies accurately; investigating the significant decline of federal and state revenues; and stabilizing the program.
In the area of state aid the recommendation was to follow state guidelines and provide written procedures for enrollment data.
Contact Joanne Papaianni at joanne@thecoaster.net.
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