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Taylor Releases Bellaire Local School District Audit

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Belmont County -

State Auditor Mary Taylor released the fiscal year 2006 audit for the Bellaire Local School District today.  The report included findings that showed a $1,800 shortfall in the cheerleading student activity fund.

The eighth and ninth grade cheerleading advisor was responsible for collecting money from the cheerleaders for shoes and cheerleading camp.  The audit showed that the monies were not deposited into the District bank account. 

The Treasurer paid the $1,800 on March 26 to make up for the deficit noted in the audit

“Good internal controls and thorough auditing practices ensure that even the smallest errors are noticed and corrected,” Taylor said.  “It is important that school districts, and all public entities, are held accountable for every single dollar that they collect and spend.”

Auditors also noticed that the food service fund balance was inadequate.  The audit recommended that the school district treasurer monitor the food service fund balance, and other fund balances, to ensure that money from one fund is not utilized to pay the obligations of another fund.

The Ohio Auditor of State’s Office is one of the largest accounting offices in the nation.  The office strives to ensure that all public funds are spent legally and appropriately and works aggressively to root out fraud, waste and abuse in public spending. Taylor encourages anyone suspecting fraud or misspending of public dollars to contact her office toll free at 1-866-FRAUD-OH (1-866-372-8364).

A full copy of the audit is available online at http://www.auditor.state.oh.us/AuditSearch/Reports/2007/Bellaire_LSD_06-Belmont.pdf