Patrick Henry President Calls for Audit of Student Activity Fund
Chris Dovi of Richmond Magazine has the details with the way principal Pamela Boyd has allegedly mismanaged funds and a lack of policies and procedures at Patrick Henry School of Arts and Science. Apparently the PHSSA Board has concerns as well.
Sharon Burton, president of the Patrick Henry board, sent a letter on May 2 to Richmond Superintendent Yvonne Brandon “to voice the concern of the board with respect to the potential financial mismanagement and lack of policies and procedures being used by our principal, Pamela Boyd.”
These concerns were most likely raised from an internal audit.
Patrick Henry’s own accountant, Anita Zimmerman, who was hired by the board earlier this year at the suggestion of Goodman and Co., undertook an internal audit of the student-activities account that covered a period from November 2010 to this March. Her April audit report to the board found that roughly $2,300 couldn’t be accounted for.
That internal audit left Patrick Henry officials “extremely concerned with the lack of even basic financial systems that would allow for the monitoring, balancing and reconciling of the money,” Burton wrote in her letter to Brandon, stating that the audit found “a chaotic collection of papers with at best, sporadic deposit reconciliation, RPS reconciliations signed off on by the principal with erroneous information, and multiple infractions of the [Richmond Public Schools] policies and procedures manual for student activity accounts.”
Is that how our education system works? Incompetence of RPS and principal unacceptable…yet a blind eye has been turned…when are we going to stop covering for incompetence and focus on educating our children? This should be call for action from all City citizens.
More and more I’m convinced that if the opportunity is available, home schooling is the only logical educational method. You control the funding and there’s no external indoctrination…
Education advocate, it is clear that a blind eye is NOT being turned on this issue. The board of directors is actively working to get to the bottom of this and the parents are asking a lot of questions and holding the board accountable. And why would the citizens be called for a negative if not also for all the positive things that are happening in the school. My daughter has had an awesome educational experience this year, and I have no doubts that the BOD will resolve this and any further issues that are bound to come up. This is a brand new school, it should be expected that some issues might arise.
I agree with Page, however, I do have a question. How did a principle start out so bold and optimistic and with a shared vision for the school, and that then lose sight of that vision and drift away from the board? How and why has that apparently happened? Get the answer to that question, and a lot will be explained.
In the meantime, the parents and the community need to stand up for what is right, and what is right is what is in the best interest of the children.
@3 – I dont know anything regarding this specific issue. But I think this is one of the issues with hiring principals. We spend time focusing on the necessary education background but forget that running a school is a lot more about managing a company versus managing instruction. Your question implies a bold vision with the best interests of the children in mind would prevent this from happening. Based on this report it sounds like they don’t have the necessary financial tracking and processing procedures in place. That’s a business management issue. and to Page’s point, new businesses are going to have procedural issues as they grow.
Correction @#4
The TImes Dispatch is reporting that the state police are investigating the principal’s use of these funds. She needs to resign now before she brings the school down.
Too many people in this community will make sure this school does not fail regardless of one apparent poor hiring decision. I wonder if RPS has ever audited “student-activity accounts” of other principals, and if they will take the opportunity to do so now?
I think an audit/investigation will also determine whether there has been actual fraud, administrative irregularities, or nothing improper. The PH Board appears to be acting appropriately to have those questions answered.
Ok, folks, a rush to judgement based on several (and varying) media reports is not what Patrick Henry needs right now. Let’s all take a deep breath and step back a moment. Many allegations have been made, although only a few facts have emerged. One thing Patrick Henry parents should know by now is that the RPS Board does NOT have our school’s back, on this or any other topic. Management of the activity and food funds is their responsibility, and making sure that PHSSA has adequate (and adequately trained)staff to assure that the administration and business end of schooling is covered is also up to them. I suspect most of the alleged financial mismanagement stems from the fact that the Principal has to wear far too many hats, not to mention battle the RPSB every step of the way. Along with #8, I too, wonder how many other principals’ accounts have been audited, and how often? As a matter of fact, Principal Boyd asked for an audit back in March, I believe, when some of these issues were first raised, and she was told the RPS auditor preferred to wait until a full year’s expenditures were in hand. Having worked in banks, I can assure you that the sooner an audit is done, once anything is questioned, the better, and the sooner such questions can be answered. It is not at all unusual to do special audits out of cycle, so to speak, when such questions arise.
Let’s not be too quick to lay blame until all the facts are in. Patrick Henry has had nothing but a hard way to go from the RPS from the beginning, and I believe that had they supported it from the start, we’d be in the school building today, not squatting in the church, with adequate space and facilities to assure proper administration and money handling. Principal Boyd, whatever you think of her, has had a rough row to hoe this past year, and can use some support – would you care to walk a mile in her shoes?
[...] Boyd was on administrative leave in June after issues were found with her handling of the student activities and meals fund. RPS investigation into the issue found poor procedures and practices to be the [...]