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W.E.B. DuBois Academy Violated Lease Agreement; Public Money Illegally Expended

Friday, February 4, 2011

Columbus - A closed charter school received state funding for students no longer in attendance according to an audit released this week by Auditor of State Dave Yost.

The audit for the W.E.B. DuBois Academy covering fiscal year 2009 includes $1,188 in findings for recovery, as well as disclosure of a violation of their lease agreement with Knowlton Terminals, Inc.

“Accurate accounting and student record keeping is vital to ensuring financial security for any school,” Yost said. “Taxpayers also expect that our school leaders follow laws and contracts accordingly.”

The audit revealed that the school received funding for students who should have been withdrawn from school due to absences that exceed 105 consecutive hours. The $1,188 in findings for recovery are payable to the Ohio Department of Education and are issued when expenditures are not allowed under state law.

Findings also showed a violation of a lease agreement with Knowlton Terminals, Inc. W.E.B. DuBois Academy violated their agreement by subletting the facility without obtaining written consent.

The W.E.B. DuBois Academy was closed as of June 30, 2010.

A copy of this audit and previous audits of the W.E.B DuBois Academy are available online.

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The Auditor of State is one of five independently elected offices under the Ohio Constitution. Auditor Yost’s office is responsible for auditing over 5,600 state and local government agencies. Staff also works in partnership with state and local governments to deal effectively with financial, accounting and budgetary issues.

Contact:
Carrie Bartunek
Press Secretary
Auditor of State
(614) 728-7198