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Taylor Releases Brookfield Local School District Audit

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Trumbull County -

State Auditor Mary Taylor released the fiscal year 2006 audit for Brookfield Local School District today.  Auditors noticed record keeping inaccuracies which resulted in recommended corrections to their financial statements totaling almost $20,000.  The audit also showed that the district lacked appropriate information on how special education grant money was used and as a result, auditors have questioned almost $50,000 in funding. 

 

“Schools must keep accurate documentation about the tax dollars they spend,” Taylor said.  “When accounting records are incorrect or incomplete, the potential for misuse and fraud greatly increases.”

 

Auditors found that Brookfield did not match its account records to bank statements.  Because of this practice, auditors recommended $19,295 in financial record corrections for the district.  Additionally, Brookfield Local School District receives funding for special education programs from the U.S. Department of Education through the Ohio Department of Education.  Auditors noted that the district did not have documentation regarding $49,794 in grant spending.  Negligence in this area could jeopardize the potential for future grant funding.

 

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 copy of the full audit is available online at http://www.auditor.state.oh.us/AuditSearch/Reports/2007/Brookfield_Local_School_District_06-Trumbull.pdf.