Stoughton School Department will Comply with Town Accountant's Audit Request

Editor's Note: The following is a statement co-signed by Stoughton School Committee Chair Deborah Sovinee and Superintendent of Stoughton Schools Dr. Marguerite Rizzi in response to a request from Town Accountant Bill Rowe to perform an audit of the school's payroll operation after members of the Board of Selectmen expressed concerns over lack of documentation to back up the numbers on the December 12/13 payroll warrant item on the Selectmen's agenda.

The schools, according to the statement, will comply with the audit request.

The original article about the planned audit is here:

The statement from the School Committee Chair and Superintendent is below.

***

STATEMENT FROM SCHOOL COMMITTEE CHAIR SOVINEE & SUPERINTENDENT RIZZI:

We wish to be very clear, the Stoughton School District has no reservations about a payroll audit. Although it has not been done before, this should be a normal procedure. The auditor has all the information that he has always had, and has never indicated a problem.  A sample audit is good practice and the School District has all the documentation to back up the payroll warrant. We believe that complete transparency is in our interest, and that of the entire town. We hope that payroll audits become policy for all departments in town.

An independent audit funded by the Finance Committee performed two years ago found School District Finances to be exemplary. We hope that action towards that distinction will be pursued town-wide.

Documentation requests from the municipal government have been answered, some things sent numerous times. There is no hesitation in complying with any reasonable request that is motivated strictly by good governance.  

It is our continued intention to join with the municipal government in working together, with respect for our appropriate roles.  

Deborah Sovinee, Chair, Stoughton School Committee
Marguerite Rizzi, Superintendent of Schools

***