The Howard County Public School System?s internal auditor will release his first audit report of school activity accounts later this month.
The report is a step toward tightening control over school activity accounts after a former employee was charged with embezzling about $10,000 from Folly Quarter Middle School last year.
“I?ve started three audits ? one high school, one elementary and one middle school,” said internal auditor John Connors.
Connors, who was hired by the school system in February, declined to name the schools, saying he wanted to give administrators time to respond to his final report.
He said his reports will cite strengths and weaknesses and provide recommendations related to school finance reports.
As an example, he said a school submitting its monthly finance report on time would be considered a strength. A weakness, however, would be not providing supporting documentation for a particular payment.
During a meeting of the School Board?s Audit Committee on Thursday, Connors said he?ll follow-up on his recommendations to the schools.
“That?s the way it should work,” he said during an interview with The Examiner on Friday.
School Board Member Patricia Gordon praised Connors? work.
“He is very, very efficient and has touched on things that frankly, I was unaware of,” Gordon said.
She said she didn?t know school staff used procurement cards to make purchases.
“They work like debit cards,” Gordon said. “A home economics teacher can use them to buy food for her class at a Safeway.”
Connors is doing a “fine job,” said School Board Member Diane Mikulis, who also serves on the committee.
Connors plans to have a third of the school system?s 70 schools audited by June 2007.
What?s next?
» John Connors, the internal auditor for the Howard County Public School System, will provide another update on school audit reports during a meeting of the Board of Education?s Audit Committee at 11 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108, Ellicott City.
