School Audit From The State

Today's Journal...

MIDDLETOWN SCHOOLS

Audit citations lead to fiscal changes

MIDDLETOWN —
Missing money and the use of federal stimulus dollars to purchase items that weren’t allowable are among several citations issued in a state audit of Middletown City Schools

Thorpe, Middletown’s treasurer since Aug. 2011, said this was the first time in seven years the state performed the audit. Previously, she said, each district hired an independent auditor, one who was “less detailed orientated” than the state

HAVEN'T WE BEEN MENTIONING THE "INDEPENDENT AUDITOR" THING WAS A QUESTIONABLE PRACTICE? WE ALSO WONDERED WHAT THE STATE FOLKS WOULD FIND. NOW WE KNOW. MISSING MONEY AND USING MONEY FOR THE WRONG PURPOSE (HEY, SOUNDS LIKE THEY LEARNED FROM THE CITY GOVERNMENT WAY OF HANDLING MONEY AND SPENDING IT FOR THE WRONG PURPOSE)

The audit, which ended June 30, 2012, was released Tuesday and showed that Middletown needs to put “new processes in place,” Thorpe said after reviewing the findings. For years, she said, the district cleaned up its books at the end of the fiscal year. She said the state auditor has instructed Middletown to do it quarterly

OUCH! QUARTERLY HUH? SOUNDS LIKE A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE STATE AUDITORS NOTES.

The district also was cited several times because different funds showed negative balances. From Dec. 7-11, 2011, the Uniform School Supply Fund showed a negative balance, the high being $332,460, the audit showed.

A NEGATIVE BALANCE. THAT'S NEVER A GOOD THING WHEN CONSIDERING MONEY IN/MONEY OUT IS IT? IS THIS THE START OF TROUBLE IN PARADISE UNDER THE THORPE BRAND OF DOING THE TREASURERS JOB? DO WE HAVE ANOTHER "MONROE" SITUATION BREWING? IS SHE AS PRUDENT ABOUT MONEY HANDLING AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS SHE NEEDS TO BE HERE?

For two weeks in February, the district’s General Fund had a deficit of $1,626,971, but that was because the district was waiting for money from the county audit, Thorpe said. She called this citation “not a big deal.”

NEVER REALIZED THAT A DEFICIT OF OVER 1 MILLION DOLLARS WAS "NO BIG DEAL". A "SLIGHT CONCERN" WOULD HELP HERE THORPE.

Also, the district was issued a citation because it used funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to purchase items that weren’t allowable, according to the auditor’s office. Thorpe said the district was told by the Ohio Department of Education that was purchases were permitted

SOMEONE'S WRONG HERE. THE PURCHASE OF ITEMS THAT "WEREN'T ALLOWED". WHERE HAVE WE HEARD THAT BEFORE?

IF YOU'RE GONNA RETAIN HER SERVICES MIDDLETOWN, BETTER WATCH WHO IS TENDING TO THE MONEY. DON'T WANT ANOTHER "MONROE INCIDENT" DO YOU?

From the article: 

Another reason why I will be voting "NO" on a levy.