FOR RELEASE:

DiNapoli's Office Completes School Audit

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced his office completed the audit of the Kingston City School District.

"My office's audits of school districts and BOCES help schools improve their financial management practices," DiNapoli said. "These audits are tools for schools to make sure proper policies and procedures are in place to protect taxpayer dollars and provide students with the best possible education."

Kingston City School District - Internal Controls Over Selected Financial Activities (Ulster County)
District officials did not ensure that agreements with professional service providers were sufficiently detailed and did not adequately monitor contract performance. The district paid for security services that it may not have received and made payments of $40,216 over contract maximum amounts for three contracts. Control deficiencies exist in the areas of bank agreements, dedicated computers, Internet usage, and online banking access. One board member had a prohibited interest in a district contract, and another board member did not disclose his interest as required. The district did not require its vendor bus drivers to maintain ridership calendars and, as a result, was unable to submit Medicaid claims for reimbursement totaling $114,620. The district also needs to improve its internal controls over information technology.