Columbus – More than $730,000 could be saved each year by the Monroeville Local School District (Huron County), according to a performance audit released today by Auditor of State Dave Yost.  

“Monroeville Local School District is fighting for its students,” Auditor Yost said. “District officials understand that their fiscal reality calls for change and were very receptive to our recommendations.”

Auditors made nine recommendations for annual savings, totaling $735,900. Two of the recommendations could be quickly implemented and include:

Saving $127,700 per year by utilizing cooperative purchasing programs like those offered by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services for the procurement of supplies and services. These savings reflect a reduction of per-student expenditures to the peer average; and

Saving $45,300 per year by eliminating three buses.

A review of staffing showed the district is below the peer average in some areas, but its fiscal condition calls for the following cost saving reductions:

• 3.5 educational service personnel positions, saving $206,900 annually;
• 1.5 site-based administrators, saving $148,400 annually;
• 2.5 general education positions, saving $103,000 annually; and
• 1 office/clerical position, saving $34,900 annually.

Additional recommendations include:

• Negotiating to reduce sick-leave severance payments from 66.25 unused days to the state benchmark of 30 unused days, saving $27,500 per year;
• Restructuring food service operations to increase student participation rates to the peer average, saving $27,500 per year; and
• Requiring all employees to contribute 15 percent of their health insurance premiums, saving $14,700 per year.

The Ohio Department of Education requested this performance audit after the district’s May 2014 five-year forecast projected a $2.3 million deficit by fiscal year 2017-18. Implementing all of the performance audit recommendations would significantly reduce the projected deficit.

A full copy of this performance audit is available online.