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Taylor Releases Southwest Licking Local School District Audit

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Licking County -

State Auditor Mary Taylor released the Southwest Licking Local School District audit today. The audit shows that the school is missing more than $1,700 for various extracurricular activities.  The Ohio Attorney General’s office has been notified.

“It is critical to properly document the collection and expenditure of all public funds,” Taylor said. “Failure to properly account for public money increases the potential of fraud or theft.”

Of the more than $1,700 missing, $190 for entertainment books sold by the middle school, $820 for golf passes sold by the baseball team and $535 for wrestling clinic fees was paid back to the school during the course of the audit.

Consequently, $180 for entertainment books sold by the swim team is the remaining amount that must be repaid.

Taylor recommends the district implement a system of checks and balances (internal controls) for collecting and depositing funds from extracurricular activities.  This will help reduce the risk of errors and the possibility of fraud. 

School district leaders stated that they are committed to training and providing guidance to staff members on this topic. 

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).