State Auditor Lydia York will look into the Appoquinimink School District following a request from a group of Delaware legislators and several requests from community members.
Following a bipartisan request of seven state legislators, State Auditor Lydia York has agreed to look into the Appoquinimink School District after its Board of Education approved a 10% increase in the local school tax rate after assuring the public of no tax hike this year.
“Over the past week, my office has received multiple communications from lawmakers and members of the public regarding the fiscal health of Appoquinimink School District,” York said in a statement. “To the students, parents, and residents of Appoquinimink: this office hears your concerns, and we take them seriously.”
The State Auditor’s Office will conduct a special inquiry into the budget shortfall that Appo faces, which will cover this limited scope to allow the Auditor’s Office to move quickly and incur minimal costs.
When this special report is complete and issued to the public, auditors will determine next steps.
York’s office will also continue to complete the broad range of audit work at the district and school level that is mandated by Delaware code.
“These audits, conducted annually, include performance audits of school district local funds, audits of capital funds for school construction, and audits of unit count, authorized positions, and career and technical education,” York said. “Altogether, education related audits rightfully take up much of my team’s time and effort and the reports are always available to the public.”
Appo Superintendent Matt Burrows said the district is currently conducting a thorough examination of our financial situation to take corrective action to ensure this never happens again.
These steps to remedy the situation include: onboarding a new finance director, adding additional members with school finance experience to the oversight committee and providing ongoing training, and additional financial reporting that will be shared with the oversight committee and school board.
School audit reports often include findings, which when addressed, can help prevent fiscal issues from arising, York stated.
“In an initial review my team highlighted 124 findings across Delaware school districts since Fiscal Year 2021,” she said. “Notably, my office also regularly receives communications through our fraud hotline concerning school districts other than Appoquinimink.”
These findings and communications reveal a pattern throughout Delaware school districts and all of State government: transparency, accountability, and fiscal controls are not free, and do not come without effort, she said.
“When our State leadership and lawmakers invest significant funding and staff into internal controls, they are much more likely to receive clean audits,” she said. “When findings go unaddressed, the programs in question run the risk of larger fiscal issues down the road.”
York pointed out that the Auditor’s Office’s resources are severely and historically constrained.
“For several years in a row, I have requested ten additional audit staff that would allow us to work faster and take on more special engagements like this one without the need for inefficient private contractors,” she said. “While I thank the Joint Finance Committee and the General Assembly for their work increasing our budget for an additional auditor and new audit technology, I firmly believe that every additional dollar spent towards transparency reduces future financial risk.
I want to thank those who have reached out for putting their trust in this office.”
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at jarek@dimgrey-peafowl-504880.hostingersite.com or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz and on LinkedIn.
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