FOR RELEASE:

Comptroller DiNapoli Releases School Audits

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced his office completed audits of the Achievement Academy Charter School, Green Island Union Free School District and the Madison-Oneida BOCES.

"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."

Achievement Academy Charter School – Board Oversight (Albany County)
The board does not provide oversight of the purchasing function as directed by the school's policy. For the 2010-11 school year, the school made 62 individual payments to 13 vendors totaling $1,118,991 that required board approval. The board did not approve 38 of these payments totaling $521,882. For the period from July 1, 2011 through February 29, 2012, the school made 41 individual payments to 18 vendors totaling $828,170 requiring board approval. The board did not approve 31 of these payments totaling $507,878.

Green Island Union Free School District – Claims Processing (Albany County)
During the audit period, the school board did not appoint a claims auditor until September 1, 2011. The board was, therefore, responsible for performing a proper audit of claims from July 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011. However, the board did not do so, either before or after claims were paid. Further, although the claims auditor does audit claims, the review takes place after the treasurer has paid the vendors.

Madison-Oneida BOCES – Internal Controls Over Information Technology (2012M-109)
The information technology vulnerabilities we identified in our audit are not discussed in this report due to the sensitivity of this information. Rather, we have communicated our findings separately to Mohawk Regional Information Center (MORIC) officials so they could take corrective action.