Hartford school officials have been tight-lipped about next steps regarding an audit that showed the school’s mismanagement of student activity funds, but the “individuals” who operated the funds were “incumbents of active duty at Hartford Public Schools.” I am no longer an employee.”
School Board spokesman Jesse Sugarman declined to say whether the employee’s inactivity was due to dismissal, resignation, or suspension.
He also declined to say whether the matter had been referred to the police.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Aaron Boisebart said police are not currently conducting a public investigation into the incident.
In response to questions about the status of the audit case, Sugarman wrote in an email: “
A 2022 Hartford Public Schools Finance Department audit by school officials of the allegedly mismanaged funds of Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy found that the school’s funds were mismanaged across the board. It was concluded.
The audit will identify the person accused of mismanaging money intended to pay for extracurricular activities and other student enrichment activities, as well as the name of the supervisor who, by school board rule, should have overseen the money. is not mentioned.
The audit was conducted in response to suspected misconduct discovered during a cursory financial review, sources said.
The audit was entrusted to the city’s Internal Audit Committee, a self-governing body established by the city’s charter. The status of the audit with that committee could not be determined, but the committee plans to address the audit at its next meeting.
Members of the internal audit committee were involved in the audit when conducting interviews.
Among the findings of the audit were the administrators of the Student Activities Fund who allegedly used the fund to pay at least part of the retirement parties of three teachers at a local cafe, and on at least eight occasions sent checks to the principal and vice-principal. is said to have been signed by I had to sign.
The audit examined records for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
The conduct of the Student Activities Fund administrators “elevates[their]liability to gross negligence,” the audit’s conclusions said.
The audit also concluded that the Principal had not paid due attention to the Fund.
The fund consists of money raised by students through fundraising, donations, tuition, athletics, yearbooks, excursions and activity clubs, the audit said. The money will be used for student activities.
In addition to interviews, the finance team analyzed bank statements, receipts, signatures, approvals, invoices, and more.
Audit results include:
- Bank statements showed the fund had a deficit of $42,000.
- There was no confirmation of where the bulk of the money deposited in fiscal years 2021-2022 to 2023 is being held during that gap.
- During a visit by financial staff, the student activity fund safe was inspected and checks and cash totaling $1,500 were found unbanked and unrecorded in the books.
- Cash receipts showed that about $40,000 was raised that year, but about $30,000 had been deposited in the bank.
- Various recorded transactions have been deleted.
- I didn’t have a receipt for the cash I collected.
- Deposit transactions have been removed from the register.
Bank of America’s final fiscal year statement showed an account balance of approximately $31,000. This means that the value of the account has decreased throughout the year.
Testing of the cash disbursement process showed that fund money was being misused for various activities, such as staff appreciation incentives and retirement parties, which were against the Student Activities Fund policy.
A check written for a teacher event was allegedly disguised as a student event in recordkeeping, according to the audit. The $4,260 retirement party deal is said to have been labeled “Senior Outing Class of 2022.”
The signatures on the check to the café where the retirement party was held were said to be those of the school’s principal and vice-principal, but when shown the check as part of an audit, both recognized their signatures. It didn’t, the document says.