The State Auditor’s Office has released a report of the Parshall Public School District that identified 17 separate areas of concern.
"Citizens initiated this audit to get thorough and independent answers on the school district," said State Auditor Joshua Gallion. "What we found were deficiencies in their financial practices and a need for greater internal accountability within the District and to those they serve."
Some of the identified areas of concern include:
- Health insurance benefits were paid for two individuals who are not presently employees of the School District.
- School board approvals were not kept for expenditures totaling over $800,000.
- The School District incorrectly reported the number of federally connected children on the impact aid grant application.
- No documentation for capital assets including accumulated depreciation."
- Missing documentation for over half a million dollars in purchases.
- Incorrect bank reconciliations led to an unreconciled net difference of over $3,000,000.
“The 17 issues our team identified are extensive,” said Auditor Gallion. “Our hope is now that these areas have been identified, the School District can make changes necessary to implement best practices to better serve their students and community.”
This audit was initiated through the citizen petition process, the petition requesting the audit required 80 valid signatures from District residents.
The complete audit report can be found here.