Brentwood Borough School District
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BRENTWOOD BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA PERFORMANCE AUDIT REPORT NOVEMBER 2012 The Honorable Tom Corbett Mr. Robert F. Kircher Jr., Board President Governor Brentwood Borough School District Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 3601 Brownsville Road Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15227 Dear Governor Corbett and Mr. Kircher: We conducted a performance audit of the Brentwood Borough School District (BBSD) to determine its compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, grant requirements, and administrative procedures. Our audit covered the period August 14, 2009 through September 21, 2011, except as otherwise indicated in the report. Additionally, compliance specific to state subsidy and reimbursements was determined for the school years ended June 30, 2010 and June 30, 2009. Our audit was conducted pursuant to 72 P.S. § 403 and in accordance with Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Our audit found that the BBSD complied, in all significant respects, with applicable state laws, contracts, grant requirements, and administrative procedures. Sincerely, /s/ JACK WAGNER November 1, 2012 Auditor General cc: BRENTWOOD BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT Board Members Auditor General Jack Wagner Table of Contents Page Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 1 Audit Scope, Objectives, and Methodology ............................................................................... 3 Findings and Observations .......................................................................................................... 6 Status of Prior Audit Findings and Observations ....................................................................... 7 Distribution List .......................................................................................................................... 9 Auditor General Jack Wagner Executive Summary Audit Work Audit Conclusion and Results The Pennsylvania Department of the Our audit found that the BBSD complied, in Auditor General conducted a performance all significant respects, with applicable state audit of the Brentwood Borough School laws, contracts, grant requirements, and District (BBSD). Our audit sought to administrative procedures. We report no answer certain questions regarding the findings or observations in this report. District’s compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, grant requirements, and Status of Prior Audit Findings and administrative procedures. Observations. There were no findings or observations included in our prior audit Our audit scope covered the period report. August 14, 2009 through September 21, 2011, except as otherwise indicated in the audit scope, objectives, and methodology section of the report. Compliance specific to state subsidy and reimbursements was determined for school years 2009-10 and 2008-09. District Background The BBSD encompasses approximately 1 square mile. According to 2010 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 9,643. According to District officials, in school year 2009-10 the BBSD provided basic educational services to 1,258 pupils through the employment of 99 teachers, 53 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 6 administrators. Lastly, the BBSD received more than $6.8 million in state funding in school year 2009-10. Brentwood Borough School District Performance Audit 1 Auditor General Jack Wagner Audit Scope, Objectives, and Methodology Scope Our audit, conducted under authority of 72 P.S. § 403, is not a substitute for the local annual audit required by the What is a school performance Public School Code of 1949, as amended. We conducted audit? our audit in accordance with Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United School performance audits allow States. the Department of the Auditor General to determine whether state funds, including school Our audit covered the period August 14, 2009 through subsidies, are being used September 21, 2011, except for the verification of according to the purposes and professional employee certification which was performed guidelines that govern the use of for the period July 1, 2011 through August 31, 2011. those funds. Additionally, our audits examine the appropriateness of certain Regarding state subsidy and reimbursements, our audit administrative and operational covered school years 2009-10 and 2008-09. practices at each Local Education Agency (LEA). The results of While all districts have the same school years, some have these audits are shared with LEA management, the Governor, the different fiscal years. Therefore, for the purposes of our PA Department of Education, audit work and to be consistent with Pennsylvania and other concerned entities. Department of Education reporting guidelines, we use the term school year rather than fiscal year throughout this report. A school year covers the period July 1 to June 30. Objectives Performance audits draw conclusions based on an evaluation of sufficient, appropriate evidence. Evidence is What is the difference between a measured against criteria such as laws and defined business finding and an observation? practices. Our audit focused on assessing the BBSD’s Our performance audits may compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, grant contain findings and/or requirements, and administrative procedures. However, as observations related to our audit we conducted our audit procedures, we sought to determine objectives. Findings describe answers to the following questions, which serve as our noncompliance with a statute, regulation, policy, contract, grant audit objectives: requirement, or administrative procedure. Observations are Were professional employees certified for the reported when we believe positions they held? corrective action should be taken to remedy a potential problem not rising to the level of Is the District’s pupil transportation department, noncompliance with specific including any contracted vendors in compliance with criteria. applicable state laws and procedures? Are there any declining fund balances which may impose risk to the fiscal viability of the District? Brentwood Borough School District Performance Audit 3 Auditor General Jack Wagner Did the District pursue a contract buy-out with an administrator and if so, what was the total cost of the buy-out, reasons for the termination/settlement, and do the current employment contract(s) contain adequate termination provisions? Were there any other areas of concern reported by local auditors, citizens, or other interested parties which warrant further attention during our audit? Is the District taking appropriate steps to ensure school safety? Did the District use an outside vendor to maintain its membership data and if so, are there internal controls in place related to vendor access? Methodology Government Auditing Standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence What are internal controls? to provide a reasonable basis for our findings, observations and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe Internal controls are processes designed by management to that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for provide reasonable assurance of our findings, observations and conclusions based on our achieving objectives in areas such audit objectives. as: BBSD management is responsible for establishing and Effectiveness and efficiency of operations; maintaining effective internal controls to provide Relevance and reliability of reasonable assurance that the District is in compliance with operational and financial applicable laws, contracts, grant requirements, and information; administrative procedures. Within the context of our audit Compliance with applicable objectives, we obtained an understanding of internal laws, contracts, grant requirements and controls and assessed whether those controls were properly administrative procedures. designed and implemented. Any significant deficiencies found during the audit are included in this report. In order to properly plan our audit and to guide us in possible audit areas, we performed analytical procedures in the areas of state subsidies/reimbursement, pupil membership, pupil transportation, and comparative financial information. Brentwood Borough School District Performance Audit 4 Auditor General Jack Wagner Our audit examined the following: Records pertaining to bus driver qualifications, professional employee certification, and financial stability. Items such as Board meeting minutes Additionally, we interviewed selected administrators and support personnel associated with BBSD operations. Brentwood Borough School District Performance Audit 5 Auditor General Jack Wagner Findings and Observations or the audited period, our audit of the Brentwood Borough School District resulted in no F findings or observations. Brentwood Borough School District Performance Audit 6 Auditor General Jack Wagner Status of Prior Audit Findings and Observations ur prior audit of the Brentwood Borough School District resulted in no findings or O observations. Brentwood Borough School District Performance Audit 7 Auditor General Jack Wagner Distribution List This report was initially distributed to the superintendent of the school district, the board members, our website address at www.auditorgen.state.pa.us, and the following: The Honorable Tom Corbett Governor Commonwealth