FOR RELEASE:

Hevesi Announces Training for School Officials, Urges School Districts to Take Immediate Action to Protect Resources
Comptroller to Speak at Training Seminar Tonight at Huntington Hilton

State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi today announced 15 additional training seminars for school district officials around New York State as part of his office’s effort to improve management of schools and restore public trust shaken by scandals at two Long Island school districts. Hevesi also announced that the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) has developed detailed training materials to help officials identify fraud.

Hevesi will be the keynote speaker at a training seminar to be held tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Huntington Hilton in Melville. The seminar is being presented by the OSC, the Nassau-Suffolk School Board Association, the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents and the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association.

“There are actions that every district can take immediately to ensure they are being run properly,” Hevesi said. “By far, the best protection is developing strong, effective checks and balances that can prevent fraud. I urge school officials around the state to participate in our training seminars to help them strengthen internal controls and improve their management.”

In July, Hevesi announced a comprehensive statewide program to increase accountability for schools that includes in-depth and administrative audits of school districts, a review of the effectiveness of independent audits, and hands-on training seminars. Offered in collaboration with the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA), Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS), the Association of School Business Officials (NYSABO) and others, the training seminars cover internal controls, financial oversight and auditing standards.

The training includes a 14-page “Red Flags for Fraud” manual and a 35-page management guide on internal controls. For a copy of these materials, contact the Comptroller’s Division of Local Government Services and Economic Development at (518) 474-6975 or localgov@osc.state.ny.us.

In addition, a working group composed of a broad coalition of education and fiscal organizations has been meeting to develop a specific set of recommendations for strengthening auditing, training and financial oversight by school district officials and their boards. The recommendations are expected later this fall.

In-depth audits examining internal controls over financial operations are currently underway in the Roslyn, Brentwood, Hempstead, Lawrence and Manhasset school districts. 15 additional school districts are the subject of administrative audits examining expenses, such as credit card usage, meals and travel. Seven of the 15 administrative audits have begun at Baldwin, East Meadow, Elmont, Massapequa, Plainedge, Syosset and Westbury. Audits of Central Islip, East Islip, Locust Valley, North Shore, Riverhead, Sachem, Three Village and Wyandanch will begin later this fall and in early 2005.

“Even the most detailed audit is not a guarantee of protection against fraud and mismanagement. It can only work when it is one part of a layer of good management and that is what this training is all about,” Hevesi said.

Eleven training events have already been held, and the additional 15 seminars are slated for:

• Today, October 5, Huntington Hilton in Melville, "Preserving the Public Trust," sponsored by the OSC, the Nassau-Suffolk School Board Association, the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents and the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association
• October 6, Double Tree Club in Syracuse, “Promoting a Healthy Financial Environment,” sponsored by NYSABO
• October 7, Holiday Inn Arena in Binghamton, “Promoting a Healthy Financial Environment,” sponsored by NYSABO
• October 13, Holiday Inn in Suffern, “Promoting a Healthy Financial Environment,” sponsored by NYSABO
• October 21-24, Buffalo Convention Center in Buffalo, School Board Association Annual Convention
• October 26, Albany, a statewide public teleconference for school board members and superintendents on “Leadership and Accountability: Preventative Medicine for Fraud.” The teleconference will feature remarks from Hevesi, State Education Department Commissioner Richard Mills and a panel of experts
• October 27, Holiday Inn in Plattsburgh, “Promoting a Healthy Financial Environment,” sponsored by NYSABO
• November 9, The Desmond in Albany, “Promoting a Healthy Financial Environment,” sponsored by NYSABO
• January 14, 2005, Rochester, “Fiscal Fitness,” sponsored by NYSSBA
• January 21, Ithaca, “Fiscal Fitness,” sponsored by NYSSBA
• January 26, Long Island, “Detecting Fraud,” sponsored by Nassau-Suffolk School Board Association
• January 28, Long Island, “Fiscal Fitness,” sponsored by NYSSBA
• February 11, location TBD, “Fiscal Fitness,” sponsored by NYSSBA
• February 12, Albany, NYSSBA’s 2005 Winter Academy
• June 5-8, Rochester, NYSABO’s Annual Meeting

For additional information, contact the Comptroller’s Local Government Partnership at (518) 473-0005 or InstituteTraining@osc.state.ny.us.

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Albany Phone: (518) 474-4015  Fax:(518) 473-8940
NYC Phone: (212) 681-4825  Fax:(212) 681-4468
Internet: http://www.osc.state.ny.us
E-Mail:press@osc.state.ny.us