FILE: DIA
ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
The West Baton Rouge Parish School Board delegates to the Superintendent or his/her designee, the responsibility of maintaining complete, accurate, and detailed records of all financial transactions in the school district. These records shall be in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, as prescribed and approved regulations of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).
SCHOOL BOARD FUNDS
The School Board requires the Superintendent to provide the necessary guidance and direction for the administrative implementation, review, analysis, reporting, and modification of all budgeted activities as approved by the School Board. All regulations developed and maintained governing the fiscal responsibility of the Board and its personnel and resources shall be designed to promote efficient management and sound fiscal accountability at every level of the school system.
All Board employees charged with receipt, handling, and/or disbursement of any Board funds shall abide strictly by state and federal law, policies of the School Board, and regulations and procedures developed by the Superintendent and his/her staff.
SCHOOL FUNDS
The School Board requires that uniform procedures be applied throughout the school system to assure the proper accounting for, and expenditure of, all funds under the control of each individual school. The Board's regulations and procedures shall be maintained and promulgated by the Superintendent and staff. Such funds shall be subject to regular audit by the central office or as may otherwise be provided.
Adherence to and implementation of all regulations and procedures pertinent to school funds shall be the responsibility of each school principal or designee. The various monies in the school fund shall be deposited in a single bank account, preferably interest bearing, on which checks may be drawn. The bank shall be selected at the discretion of the principal.
The Board shall receive periodic reports from the Superintendent of all income, expenditures, balances in the schools' various accounts, and such other data as the Board may prescribe, in addition to regular financial reports. In every way possible fiscally within budgetary constraints, the Board shall provide financial assistance relative to student activity programs within each school.
ATHLETIC FUNDS
All athletic funds shall be under the direct responsibility and supervision of the school principal in accordance with recommendations of the Board, the Louisiana Department of Education and other appropriate agencies.
Receipts and expenditures for each game and/or athletic event shall be documented in the school's business records for audit purposes. All income and expenditures shall likewise be documented. All purchasing of athletic equipment and materials shall be done by the Athletic Director/Head Coach and his/her staff but with the approval of the principal of that school.
SCHOOL CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
The School Board requires all activity funds generated by a club, organization, association, class, athletic team, or any other organization within the school to be deposited into a school fund bank account. Separate records of all financial transactions of the school fund account shall be maintained by the principal for each group. No money shall be drawn on the account without a proper request signed by an officer, member, or sponsor of the school club or organization as designated by same, and any check for an expenditure shall reflect the signature of the principal.
The records of the school account shall be reconciled annually and a written report shall be prepared by the principal and submitted to the Superintendent or his/her designee annually, who shall review and consider the report for approval and notify the principal accordingly. The School Board may require and provide for an audit of the school fund of any school within its jurisdiction at any time.
All club or organization related fund raising activities shall be approved by the principal and may be subject to audits from the central office. Money deposited in the school funds which are unrestricted may be expended at the discretion of the principal provided such expenditures are for the benefit of all or any of the school's students, faculty, staff, facility, or program and provided the ledger reflects the expenditure. Deposits in the school fund account shall be made by the principal or designee from the school staff.
BOOSTER CLUBS / OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS
The School Board recognizes that funds generated by an entity outside the school, such as a parents' club, community, business, civic or other similar type of organization are considered to be independent funds under the exclusive control and supervision of the club or organization. While these funds are independent of school authority, the Board expects and requires all such funds, when expended for any school function, activity, or purpose, to adhere fully to all state and federal statutory and regulatory provisions.
In addition, the Board may place restrictions on the donation and usage of any monies by an outside source, i.e. club, organization, or entity, to a school or Board-related entity. Separate records or ledgers shall be maintained by the principal or his/her designee from among the school staff, for each of the following sources of deposits into the school fund account:
Each donation made to the school by an entity outside the school, whether it be a parents club, community, business, or civic organization, or other donor, when such donation is made for a specific or restricted use or purpose.
No monies shall be drawn on the school fund account unless the request for withdrawal of funds carries two (2) signatures, one of which shall always be the principal's, and the other signature shall be another school administrator, faculty member, or employee who is approved by the donor and is familiar with the purpose of the donation.
If such donation by an outside entity is unrestricted and is intended for discretionary use to benefit the school, its students, faculty, employee, programs or facilities, the request for withdrawal of funds shall carry the following two (2) signatures: the principal's and any other school administrator, faculty member, or employee.
Specifically prohibited shall be the donation to an individual employee of the School Board anything of economic value in the form of money, personalized articles, automobiles and/or their use, travel, entertainment or vacations. The Board reserves the right to examine the provisions of any and all prospective donations to a school or Board-related entity to ascertain the propriety of the donation.
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง17:59, 17:196, 17:414.3, 24:515, 39:1301, 39:1302, 39:1303, 39:1304, 39:1305, 39:1306, 39:1307, 39:1308, 39:1309, 39:1310, 39:1311, 39:1312, 39:1313, 39:1314
Opinion No. 84-167, Commission on Ethics for Public Employees, State of Louisiana
Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Accounting and Uniform Governmental Handbook, Bulletin 1929, Louisiana Department of Education
West Baton Rouge Parish School Board