Harlan Kirgan
The St. Landry Parish School Board had a very good year financially in 2020, according to auditor Casey Ardoin of Kolder, Salven & Company.
Ardoin presented the annual audit at the School Board’s meeting Thursday.
The Board tabled action on the audit until its February meeting to allow members time to review it.
The school system’s general fund total assets on June 30, 2020, was $37.8 million, up about $3.9 million from the previous fiscal year. Total liabilities in the general fund were $13.8 million, up $1.5 million form the previous fiscal year.
The school system had an unassigned fund general fund balance of $13.8 million, which is 11.5% of the revenues.
“We talk about this metric every year. Anything above 7.5% the Department of Education considers an excellent position.” he said. I believe the district’s goal is 12 or 13%.”
Ardoin added, “You are not quite there yet, but you are making progress especially in these last two years you had wonderful years financially.”
Ardoin also noted the school district had a general fund balance at $2.5 million and for all funds there was a balance total of $1 million.
The district’s general fund beginning balance was $21.5 million and its ending balance was nearly $24 million.
Total general fund revenues were $120.5 million and expenditures were $117.5 million.
The audit included seven findings.
— There is not proper oversight of school activity funds. The School Board’s corrective actions include routine audit and enforcing proper procedures. District level changes were made to allow for an additional school auditor.
— School Board interfund accounts are not being reconciled properly or on a timely basis. The cause was the staff did not perform duties as instructed. The School Board has reorganized the duties of its accounting staff. The finding was initially made in 2018.
— The School Board did not prepare all bank reconciliations for its payroll and general fund operating account for all months of the fiscal year. The finding, initially made in 2018, is due to the staff did not perform duties as instructed. The staff was reorganized and procedures were implemented to ensure that all cash accounts and reconciled on a monthly basis.
— On May 6, 2020, a St. Landry Parish Head Start iPad was stolen from an employee’s residence during a break-in. The Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office was notified and a report was filed. The employee reimbursed the School Board for the cost of the iPad. The corrective action is to conduct routine inventory checks.
— Another theft involved a shortage of $9,017 at Opelousas Junior High School in a review of monthly reports. The employee responsible violated policy. The corrective action after the shortage was detected, the district attorney and Legislative Auditor were notified. An internal audit was conducted. Restitution was not made and the individual believed to have misappropriated the funds is no longer employed by the School Board.
— The School Board was assessed penalties and interest totaling $14,890 of which $12,554 were abated for the late filing of payroll tax reports and late payment of payroll taxes applicable for hte tax period June 30, 2019. The payroll tax reports for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, were also filed late. Tax notices have not been received with respect to the tax periods. The employee responsible for the reports and deposits violated policy. The procedures will be established to ensure the reports and deposits are remitted by the prescribed dates.
— The School Board did not publish minutes for all of its public meetings in a reasonable period of time. Minutes of meetings were not consistently posted to the School Board’s website. The School Board implemented policies to ensure that minutes of all open meetings will be made available as public record and published in the official journal and on the School Board’s website timely.