FILE: DIA
ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
The Avoyelles Parish School Board delegates to the Superintendent or his/her designee, the responsibility of maintaining complete, accurate, and detailed records of all financial transactions in the school district. These records shall be in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, as prescribed, and approved regulations of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).
SCHOOL BOARD FUNDS
The School Board shall require the Superintendent to provide the necessary guidance and direction for the administrative implementation, review, analysis, reporting, and modification of all budgeted activities as approved by the School Board. All regulations developed and maintained governing the fiscal responsibility of the School Board and its personnel and resources shall be designed to promote efficient management and sound fiscal accountability at every level of the school system.
All School Board employees charged with receipt, handling, and/or disbursement of any School Board funds shall abide strictly by state and federal law, policies of the School Board, and regulations and procedures developed by the Superintendent or his/her designee.
SCHOOL FUNDS
The School Board shall require that uniform procedures be applied throughout the school system to assure the proper accounting for, and expenditure of, all funds under the control of each individual school. Such funds shall be subject to an annual audit at the close of each school year by the Business Manager or as may otherwise be provided.
Adherence to and implementation of all regulations and procedures, as may be established by the Superintendent and staff, pertinent to school funds shall be the responsibility of each school principal or his/her designee. These shall include, but not be limited to the following:
Each fund in each school shall maintain accounting records in such a way as to conform with written procedures prescribed by the Superintendent.
School funds shall be under the same legal requirements as other School Board funds.
Each principal shall make available to School Board personnel the records from which to reconcile and audit monthly all school funds.
Individual schools shall not be permitted to borrow or lend money for any reason or purpose. Student body activity and other internal school funds must not be used for any purpose which represents an accommodation, loan, or credit to anyone. Personal checks must not be cashed with school funds. Advances of salary must not be made. Local School Board employees or other individuals must not make purchases for personal benefit through a school in order to take advantage of the school purchasing privileges.
SCHOOL CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
The School Board shall require all activity funds generated by a club, organization, association, class, athletic team, or any other organization within the school to be deposited into a school fund bank account. Such funds shall be maintained in accordance with the procedures outlined by the Superintendent or designee. No money shall be drawn on the account without a proper request and any check for an expenditure shall reflect the signature of the principal.
Separate records of all financial transactions of school fund accounts shall be maintained by the principal for each group. The records of the school account shall be reconciled monthly and a written report shall be prepared by the principal and submitted to the Superintendent or his/her designee annually, who shall review and consider the report for approval and notify the principal accordingly. The School Board may require and provide for an audit of the school fund of any school within its jurisdiction at any time.
Funds may not be borrowed or transferred from a restricted account to another fund or restricted account without the permission of the club or activity group that raised the funds and the school principal. The approvals related to such transfers must be retained for audit.
Funds received from any general school activity in which students participate become a part of general school funds. Expenditure of those monies must be for the benefit of the majority of the students. These benefits should be of a nature that will aid or enlarge the educational program of the school. Any monies deposited with the school that are to be used for any other purpose, must be designated upon receipt as restricted. Any monies not designated as restricted when received shall be considered a part of general school funds and expended for the benefit of the total student body.
Current school records shall be kept of all financial transactions of all school related activities. The receipts and disbursements of some of these activities shall be considered restricted. As such, the expenditure of these funds shall be restricted to the wishes of the governing group, if approved by the sponsor and the school principal. The expenditure of the restricted funds shall be allowed only to the extent funds of the group are available. Deficits shall not be allowed.
Class accounts should be established on the basis of the graduation year, so that balances automatically follow the class until graduation. Graduating class accounts shall be closed at the end of the fiscal year, with the graduating class making provisions for the disposition of remaining balances prior to graduation. Any inactive and unclaimed restricted balances may be transferred to the general fund with authorization of the school principal.
BOOSTER CLUBS/OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS
No separate bank account for student groups or organizations and/or support organizations such as Booster Clubs, Band Clubs, etc., shall be established or maintained. All income of these groups shall be deposited in the school's general fund, accounted for through a separate ledger account and subjected to the same rules and procedures relative to receipt and disbursement as any other school fund. No disbursements to a vendor will be made from any type of savings account. In addition, the School Board may place restrictions on the donation and usage of any monies by an outside source, i.e. club, organization, or entity, to a school or Board-related entity. Specifically prohibited shall be the donation to an individual employee of the School Board anything of economic value in the form of money, personalized articles, automobiles and/or their use, travel, entertainment or vacations. The School Board reserves the right to examine the provisions of any and all prospective donations to a school or School Board-related entity to ascertain the propriety of the donation.
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง17:59, 17:196, 17:414.3, 24:515, 39:1301, 39:1302, 39:1303, 39:1304, 39:1305, 39:1306, 39:1307, 39:1308, 39:1309, 39:1310, 39:1311, 39:1312, 39:1313, 39:1314, 39:1315
Opinion No. 84-167, Commission on Ethics for Public Employees, State of Louisiana
Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741
Louisiana Accounting and Uniform Governmental Handbook, Bulletin 1929, Louisiana Department of Education
Board minutes, 8-5-80
Avoyelles Parish School Board