This came from a community member who wishes to remain anonymous....
Seth Fiermonti, as a speaker at the school board meeting, volunteered this blog as a resource for the community to offer up suggestions to the district and the school board. I attended the school board meeting and think that this is a nice offer. Let's use this posting as an avenue to give suggestions to the school board on what measures they can take to actually improve the situation from the citizen's standpoint. I really think that this can be an important dialogue without name calling and bantering, just constructive criticism and real suggestions. So, now the question is posed to you...What suggestions do you have for the school board on ways they can improve the district as a whole and the issues that were presented in the Durham Town Council Resolution?
I suggest this, answer the questions regarding the surplus. This should be a simple request, and a simple answer. This will then allow the district to move on. I would also suggest the district offer community engagement evenings on a quarterly basis. They had one last year, it was well attended. I also suggest a citizen group that meets on a regular basis with board members, teachers, parents and community leaders. This will allow for all to have a voice and to develop understanding. Lastly, we need to open up the review process for Howard's position. The town administrators as paid public servants are reviewed at a public meeting. There is open discussion, and input provided. Why do we not ever see how the Superintendent is reviewed and what the results of such a review are?
ReplyDeleteThis process should be open, discussed and reviewed with the public. We pay the salary, we have a right to know the measures under which the evaluation is occuring, and the results of such measures.
I also saw that the former board chair Ms. Clark and current board member Jennifer Rief visited with the teachers to receive input during budget season. This should become a regular part of the budget process. The chair and vice chair or other appointed board members should also meet with citizens in each of the three towns early in the budget process to answer questions. Early open communication is key. It will perhaps prevent the high level of misunderstanding, which then breeds a lack of trust.
Are people asleep at the wheel?
ReplyDeleteI just watched the Board meeting and was aghast when watching the CPA firm present their findings. Do you have any idea what this means?
I can only assume that the firm required the district to conduct a formal presentation to the Board because the findings are extreme. Clearly for those of you without a CPA, you may not know the significance of the #1 finding.
Let me attempt to explain and I can only hope that you see how extreme and serious this situation is for the district.
An annual CPA audit is conducted and is not designed to detect fraud. The primary purpose is to review financial statements in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the U.S. The audit does not set out to form an opinion regarding the effectiveness of internal controls.
Do you see why item #1 is so significant? The internal controls are so negligent and non-compliant that for the past 2 years, our district is considered to have SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY. As a result, recommendations have been made to tighten our internal controls in multiple areas.
In the scope of this audit, this is not a forensic audit, but this is an unmitigated failing on the part of our district. Simply put, the firm ran a control test and the district failed significantly.
The district should take this very seriously and consider rapid measures to respond to this crisis:
*a forensic audit should be considered to determine if fraud has been committed (3 invoices from vendors out of 25 in the test were not located; at a minimum, negligence puts the district at risk for fraud; the failure rate indicates that fraud is a significant possibility)
*new internal fiscal controls and process (developed by an expert from outside of the district with no connection to the school or even the community to be sure there is no bias)
*retraining all staff who deal with receivables and payables on this newly developed system
This is a letter I send to the Board. I had to take out the introduction and closing because it is too long (I will try to post it in its entirety on the sidebar -->.
ReplyDeleteMarch 23, 2010
Dear Members of the Oyster River Cooperative School District Board:
In response to recent events, I am writing to outline what I believe to be the most import tasks to include as part of your immediate goals.
I believe the following 5 actions are imperative to regain credibility in the eyes of the public and build community support for our schools:
1. Members of the Board must demand that the administration produce a budget that is readable, transparent and reflects the priorities of all stakeholders, including the public. The Town of Durham’s budget is a good example. In addition, it is vital that the public be involved in the development of the budget from the outset, not after the fact.
2. Policies must be created to gain control of spending. For example, our Superintendent is currently allowed to spend or transfer any amount of money without Board review or consent. Of the dozens of NH school districts I researched, I did not find any other school Board that relinquishes its authority to oversee and approve spending. This current lack of oversight is unacceptable and must be corrected. The Board must create a policy to assure that spending of public dollars is discussed, approved and accounted for in public. Most districts require approval from the Board for any purchases or line item transfers over $15,000; as an example, the town of Durham requires anything over $5,000 to obtain Town Council approval.
3. Bidding policies must be rewritten to ensure that the Board has full oversight of District procurement. Most towns and districts require their administrators to present bidding/vendor recommendations to the Board for final approval. Our District has no such requirement. As a result, the Board has no oversight to ensure that our administrators are following Board policies. Community members with expertise should be empowered to write new policies for Board approval; it is a clear conflict of interest to have administrators creating policies that pertain to oversight/controls, as is the current practice.
4. The Board must institute a citizens audit committee to increase accountability in the school District and strengthen oversight of school finances. This audit committee will serve as a response to the “significant deficiencies” in the recent CPA auditor findings and prevent the intentional disregard of District bidding and procurement policies as reported to the Board following the citizens audit 2 years ago. This is becoming common practice nationally. For example, the State of New York now requires every district to have a citizens audit committee. (For more information, see: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reform/school/index.htm)
5. The Board must discuss the long-term sustainability of the District and create a long-range plan to address two trends: increasing costs and declining enrollment. It is vital to involve members of the public, teachers and staff in this process.
It is time for the Board to roll up its sleeves and work hand-in-hand with the entire community to get the fiscal oversight of our District back on track. In doing so, the District will reclaim its credibility and support from its constituents.
It is time to realize that we have to take a hard look at HOW money is being spent. Why is it our students can no longer take field trips, teachers lack basic supplies and professional development has been cut. I hope it is finally time to see that these questions being asked are to help education, not diminish education.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like we need a Budget Advisory Committee like many have suggested.
ReplyDeleteThe district desperately needs to revamp its website and make it more user friendly. An easily navigable site with lots of content would go a long way toward providing all concerned with information that will begin to rebuild trust in the district and the board.
ReplyDeleteAt this moment, the design of the website makes it very hard to find information. In some cases, there was more information a few years ago than now.
This was done either by simple oversight or deliberately to keep the public in the dark about many issues that matter.
Howard complains about monkeys on backs because one individual wants information? Fine, Howard, take some of the surplus and put it into hiring a web designer who will design a site that will provide such information online.
To that end, a committee made up of folks from the community should be formed to beta test any new or revamped site before a final launch. Let us ordinary barely tech-savvy types give feedback about how easy or difficult it is to get around on the site, and what other information we require, or what forum we'd like to have on the site to provide opinions, pose questions, and get answers to those questions.
The sooner the better. Not everyone has the time to attend the board meetings or go to the admin offices to request information.
If Howard and the board truly want to be more open and accountable to the public, they should demonstrate it in a variety of ways. This is just one of those ways.
Good comment about the website. What did we do with all that "surplus money" they spent like mad at the end of last year, besides buying new vehicles that were never part of the CIP?
ReplyDeleteI am a teacher and yes, we can go on field trips. There has been a request from the top to limit, voluntarily (with the board's blessing), the field trips so that no student should have to pay more than $10 per year for field trips. That is not unreasonable given the current economic times but there should be some exceptions.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there also a provision that if the students fund raise to make up the cost beyond $10 per student, then they can do the trip? That is my understanding.
ReplyDeleteOutsource the district. Amateurs have proven incompetence.
ReplyDelete