Hume R-8 auditors find few problems

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Nevada Daily Mail

An audit of Hume R-8 schools revealed that for the most part, the school's finances and practices are in good order, but the district faces an accounting problem similar to that of many small districts -- there's not enough segregation of duties when it comes to collecting, recording and depositing money taken in by the district.

During a meeting Oct. 13, Renda Armstrong of Daniels and Associates, a local firm hired to conduct a routine independent audit of the district, told the R-8 school board that most small districts have this problem, noting that greater segregation is nearly impossible without hiring more people to accomplish that goal.

Aside from that, the district's audit was mostly positive, revealing that budget and disbursement policies all comply with the state's regulations.

A few other minor recommendations were made in the audit, including greater attention to tax withholding forms, a suggestion that a stop payment policy be implemented, and that the district note a reason for going into closed session during board meetings in the minutes.

In an unrelated report, Principal Ryan Huff told the board that the district received enough points in an annual performance review to qualify for accreditation.

The board discussed allowing all employees to leave at 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Currently, staff remains until 3:55, although buses leave at 3:25. The motion to allow employees to leave at 3:30 was denied, with two votes in favor of and three opposed to the action. In other business, Huff reported that students who earned marks of proficient or advanced on the MAP test were rewarded with outings. High school students went to Branson, and elementary school students visited a Chuck E Cheese restaurant.

He also reviewed financial memos from the Department of Secondary Education, and informed the board of a need for more substitute bus drivers.

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