Auditor faults Richmond schools’ human resources, payroll departments
From Sunshine Review
June 23, 2009 The auditor that investigated Richmond City Public Schools says the district's overstaffed human resources and payroll departments, which are using out-of-date procedures and ineffective management, are to blame for recent unveiling of overpaying employees and corruption.
"We have a lot of concerns with policies and procedures," said internal auditor Debora R. Johns.[1]
[edit] Indiscretions
Johns review of payroll information covered the period from July 1, 2006, to May 31, 2009 and found a number of problems, including overpayments to 19 employees, totaling $50,356.96, employees taking off time but not recording it and sloppy bookkeeping.
The biggest overpayment instance was to an employee on education leave who received $10,050. This employee has agreed to repay the extra salary in $50 increments over 201 periods, but the other overpaid employees are keeping their overpayments.
[edit] The next step
The superintendent, also accused of hiring someone who later became her relative and overpaying that person, says the audits were welcomed by the administration and they "identify strategies toward improving," reported the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
School Board Vice Chairwoman Kimberly B. Gray agrees they are necessary as a good starting point, but that the "digging" must continue. "And that's going to make some people uncomfortable," said Gray.[1]
[edit] External links
- Internal Audit Services, RPS website
- Superintendent Yvonne W. Brandon's Richmond Public School website
- Richmond Public Schools website
[edit] References
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