Audit finds nearly $200,000 in questionable expenses in Mason Co schools

This from the Herald- Leader:

An audit of the Mason County school district found nearly $200,000 in questionable expenditures since 2008, according to a report released Wednesday by State Auditor Adam Edelen.

A review of finances in the school district, which has fewer than 3,000 students, found excessive spending, extra benefits for the school superintendent and lack of proper board oversight.

Investigators documented that Superintendent Tim Moore, six district employees and five board members spent nearly $200,000 that appeared excessive, lacked supporting documentation, had no clear business purpose or did not go through the district's approval process.

That spending included meals at upscale steakhouses by the board and administrators, and expensive hotel stays, including many at the Marriott in Covington, just an hour from Maysville.

In addition, Moore was documented to have used $21,000 in gas from the district's tanks that was not included as part of his contract. His most recent contract pays him $141,261 a year, according to the auditor's office.

The audit was first requested by the state legislature's Office of Education Accountability. The audit's findings will be turned over to the Internal Revenue Service, Edelen said, because some employees may have received unreported benefits.

"In a district that receives nearly half of its revenue from the Commonwealth, all taxpayers — not just those in Mason County — ought to be alarmed," Edelen said. "Parents today are forced to spend money not just on pencils and notebooks but paper towels and other janitorial supplies. The findings in this report are shameful." ...

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/10/24/2382901/audit-finds-nearly-200000-of-questionable.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/10/24/2382901/audit-finds-nearly-200000-of-questionable.html#storylink=cpy