Beth-Center seeks forensic audit
FREDERICKTOWN 鈥� The Bethlehem-Center School Board Monday authorized a forensic audit of district spending following the discovery of a nearly $1.5 million deficit at the end of the 2018 term.
The board voted 6-3 in favor of the special audit after the accounts were reconciled earlier this year, showing a more than $430,000 deficit at the end of the 2017-18 term.
鈥淲e have to have an initiation point,鈥� said Director Bridgett Trump, who made the motion after three earlier attempts to order the audit failed.
The deficit increased because a fund balance of nearly $1.1 million that term no longer exists, district officials have said.
The cost of the forensic audit was capped at $5,000.
Solicitor Jim Davis said that sum will allow the auditors to 鈥済o as far as they can go,鈥� and if it costs more the board would need to approve the change.
Directors Donald Crile, Karen Drill and Samuel Marcolini voted against performing the forensic audit.
Meanwhile, the board rejected the 2019-20 budget of $19.4 million that would raise real estate taxes to help deal with the deficit.
Trump said she voted against the spending plan because she hadn鈥檛 had time to review it after the final version was presented to the board Monday.
She said it likely will pass at a special meeting at 7:30 p.m. Friday called to approve the budget before the June 30 deadline.
Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said a number of things have been done to cut spending, including plans to not replace a math teacher and eliminate the director of maintenance position.
Spending is tight to the point that administrators considered not sending the marching band to away games and moving night games to daylight to save on electricity bills at the football field.
Sefcheck said the band boosters agreed to cover the cost of transportation to away football games.
He said a rumor that traveled fast through the district that sports programs were being eliminated was untrue.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not eliminating programs this year,鈥� he said.