When you’re on this track, the first excuse school Administration will try to do is derail the request by saying, “The school district has an audit performed every year, and it’s required by law. We have passed our audit each year without issue.” That’s exactly why no issues are found. The first problem is that you’re listening to Administration.
A standard audit conducted by an accountant is ONLY looking for the reconciliation of dollars and cents, making sure accounts are in balance. What these basic annual auditors don’t look for is misappropriation of funds, the shell game of transfers, secret accounts, waste, fraud, abuse, or program compliance standards to make sure that the funds are spent accordingly.
It’s important to know the difference in audits.
-
Financial Audit – A financial audit is an attestation that the client’s financial statement is accurate.
-
Forensic Audit – A forensic audit involves scrutinizing the financial records of a person or organization to find evidence of fraud, misconduct, or other financial anomalies, often for legal purposes. This process uses specialized methods and is usually carried out by forensic accountants or auditors.
-
Performance Audit – A performance audit is an independent review of a program, function, operation, or the management systems and procedures of a government or non-profit organization to evaluate if the entity is utilizing its resources economically, efficiently, and effectively.
I would wager a fair amount of fine ale that the Wicomico County system could NOT survive a comprehensive audit…and a DOGE type review would put them to shame.
Between the unions and the BOE, they are sucking money out of that system to beat the band!