Auditor General DePasquale: Expedited Audit Leads to Improvements at Old Forge School District
Auditor General DePasquale: Expedited Audit Leads to Improvements at Old Forge School District
HARRISBURG (July 15, 2020) – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today said his latest audit of the Old Forge School District in Lackawanna County found significant problems that are already being addressed by the new superintendent.
“After hearing from numerous families about significant dysfunction within the school board, and reports of growing financial challenges, I directed my team to begin this audit earlier than scheduled,” DePasquale said. “For the students and taxpayers in the district, I’m glad that my report is able to provide clear recommendations for improvement that are already being implemented.”
The latest audit covered July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2018. The report includes 20 recommendations to address five findings related to:
- Governance weaknesses including outdated policies, financial oversight concerns and a lack of transparency and cooperation among school board members;
- Inadequate budgeting and declining general fund balance causing financial instability that led to a deficit of more than $500,000 by June 30, 2019;
- Missing documentation to support transportation reimbursements;
- Non-existent contracts with secondary transportation providers; and
- Errors reporting retirement earnings for three former administrators.
“This audit is a good example of how the system is supposed to work,” DePasquale said. “My team identified issues and offered recommendations that are already making a difference, including starting a multi-year budget process to overcome significant financial challenges so that more resources can be focused on educating students.”
Review the Old Forge School District audit report and learn more about the Department of the Auditor General online at www.PaAuditor.gov.
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