REPORT DIGEST

 

REGIONAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION #17

 

DEWITT, LIVINGSTON, AND MCLEAN COUNTIES

 

FINANCIAL AUDIT

(In Accordance with the

Single Audit Act and

OMB Circular A-133)

 

For the Year Ended:

June 30, 2008

 

Summary of Findings:

 

Total this audit                       1

Total last audit                       1

Repeated from last audit        1

 

Release Date:

July 8, 2009

 

State of Illinois

Office of the Auditor General

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND

AUDITOR GENERAL

 

 

 

 

 

To obtain a copy of the Report contact:

Office of the Auditor General

Iles Park Plaza

740 E. Ash Street

Springfield, IL 62703

(217) 782-6046 or TTY (888) 261-2887

 

This Report Digest and Full Report

are also available on

the worldwide web at

http://www.auditor.illinois.gov

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

 

  • The Regional Office of Education #17 did not have sufficient internal controls over the financial reporting process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Expenditures and Revenues are summarized on the reverse page.}

 

 

 

 

REGIONAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION #17

DEWITT, LIVINGSTON, AND MCLEAN COUNTIES

 

 

FINANCIAL AUDIT

(In Accordance with the Single Audit Act and OMB Circular A-133)

For The Year Ended June 30, 2008

 

 

 

FY 2008

FY 2007

TOTAL REVENUES

$5,693,647

$5,597,204

Local Sources

$2,772,902

$2,893,855

% of Total Revenues

48.70%

51.70%

State Sources

$2,425,581

$2,197,146

% of Total Revenues

42.60%

39.25%

Federal Sources

$495,164

$506,203

% of Total Revenues

8.70%

9.04%

 

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

$5,591,669

$5,533,544

Salaries and Benefits

$3,104,001

$2,911,513

% of Total Expenditures

55.51%

52.62%

Purchased Services

$2,056,138

$2,311,031

% of Total Expenditures

36.77%

41.76%

All Other Expenditures

$431,530

$311,000

% of Total Expenditures

7.72%

5.62%

 

TOTAL NET ASSETS

$2,049,428

$1,947,450

 

INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL ASSETS

$552,923

$498,065

 

Percentages may not add due to rounding.

 

 

REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENT 

During Audit Period:  Honorable G. Lawrence Daghe

Currently:  Honorable Mark Jontry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Regional Office of Education #17 did not have sufficient internal controls over the financial reporting process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 

 

Controls Over Financial Statement Preparation

 

         The Regional Office of Education #17 is required to maintain a system of controls over the preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).  Regional Office internal controls over GAAP financial reporting should include adequately trained personnel with the knowledge and expertise to prepare and/or thoroughly review GAAP based financial statements to ensure that they are free of material misstatements and include all disclosures as required by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).

 

         The Regional Office of Education #17 did not have sufficient internal controls over the financial reporting process.  The Regional Office maintains their accounting records on the cash basis of accounting.  While the Regional Office maintains controls over the processing of most accounting transactions, there are not sufficient controls over the preparation of the GAAP based financial statements for management or employees in the normal course of performing their assigned functions to prevent or detect financial statement misstatements and disclosure omissions in a timely manner.

 

         During their review of the Regional Office’s accounting records, auditors noted that the Regional Office did not have adequate controls over the maintenance of complete records of accounts receivable, accounts payable, or deferred revenues.  While the Regional Office did maintain records to indicate the balances of accounts payable, accounts receivable, and deferred revenues, there were not entries made by the ROE to reconcile their grant activity, such as posting grant receivables and deferred revenues.  The Regional Office’s financial information required numerous adjusting entries to present financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

         According to Regional Office officials, they did not have adequate funding to hire and/or train their accounting personnel in order to comply with these requirements. (Finding 08-1, pages 12-13)

 

         The auditors recommended that, as part of its internal control over the preparation of its financial statements, including disclosures, the Regional Office of Education #17 should implement a comprehensive preparation and/or review procedure to ensure that the financial statements, including disclosures, are complete and accurate.  Such procedures should be performed by a properly trained individual(s) possessing a thorough understanding of applicable generally accepted accounting principles, GASB pronouncements, and knowledge of the Regional Office of Education’s activities and operations.

 

         The Regional Office of Education #17 responded that it understands the nature of this finding and realizes that this circumstance is not unusual in an organization of this size.  The Regional Office will continue to seek professional accounting expertise.  The Regional Office noted that it will ensure that staff with financial oversight is adequately trained to use the full range of current financial technology.  Bookkeepers shall attend training conducted by expert consultant(s) in the preparation of financial statements as well as training conducted by IARSS consultants.

 

AUDITORS’ OPINION

 

         Our auditors state the Regional Office of Education #17’s financial statements as of June 30, 2008 are fairly presented in all material respects.   

 

 

____________________________________

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

 

WGH:KJM

 

SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS

 

         Our special assistant auditors were Clifton Gunderson, LLP.