THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 7, 1995 TAG: 9506070461
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Kids First, an education watchdog group, is calling for an independent audit of the school system's finances.
Kids First Chairman John T. Early Jr. said Tuesday that the group is concerned about problems the school system has faced with balancing its budget over the past two fiscal years.
City officials say an audit is not needed.
Superintendent Sidney L. Faucette had to make up for a shortfall of nearly $12.5 million this fiscal year, including about $2.5 million in expenses from the 1993-94 fiscal year.
``We're quite concerned about the perception, at least in the public's eyes, that perhaps the books are not being properly balanced,'' Early said.
``We also see the importance of establishing a base line for future financial decisions and priorities,'' he said. ``We think now is the time, with a new superintendent perhaps coming in shortly, for that accounting base line to be established.''
Faucette will leave July 3 to accept a job leading a school district in Georgia.
Vice Mayor William D. Sessoms Jr. said that, in meetings with Faucette and School Board Chairwoman June T. Kernutt, city officials have raised questions about the school system's bookkeeping.
``I'll be the first one to acknowledge that we stated that we saw problems as far as financial controls,'' he said. ``And I'm also pleased to say that everyone, from the School Board chairman to the superintendent, agrees.
``They're in the process of fixing these problems, and we will wait to see the results in the near future. . . . For me to sit back and say we should have a special audit, I don't know if I could support that or not.''
City Finance Director Patricia A. Phillips said there is an independent audit of the city and school system books at the end of each fiscal year. The most recent was last summer, she said.
No significant problems were raised, she said.
``On the schools side, it just said to start making more projections of your financial position, which the school system is doing,'' she said.
``To do a special audit would be a waste of taxpayer money,'' she said. by CNB