Complaint Review: Hempstead Public Schools

'UNCONTROLLED SPENDING'

New York State comptroller's office AUDIT highlights;

The district awarded $1.3 million worth of contracts without competitive bidding, often in violation of state law. That includes $900,000 for 18 consultants whose contracts contained little or no description of what services they provided, and who were often paid more than those contracts specified, (This includes pay for vacation. These consultants were paid between $550 - $650 per day with no work hours defined. These unethical business practices were brought to state officials attention and ignored with the reasoning 'they can give what they want to consultants')

The district spent $1.1 million on temporary employees, without any board or business office approval. (The clerical union fought this violation of their contract often.)

Board members and staffers racked up $73,000 in cell phone bills, much of it for personal calls, and at least $45,000 in credit charges with no itemized receipts.

Five employees who resigned or were fired were paid a total of $117,145 for unused sick and vacation time to which they were not entitled.

Auditors could not find 17 pieces of equipment , including laptops, desktops and printers, valued at about $27,000. (They should check some current and past administrators', past school board members' and other employees' homes, but too late they were warned in enough time to get rid of them.)

Cash receipts for school cafeteria sales did not match bank deposits for 43 of 46 days tested by auditors. For example on 2.3.2003 cash register tapes totaled $2,036, but only $1,484 was deposited to the school lunch fund account.

Sheriva
Hempstead, New York
U.S.A.