Southtowns Record

Lackawanna City School District - Contractual Services (2019M-23)

Government
Lackawanna City School District
Posted by publisher
Jun 7, 2019
Kind
State audit
Topics
Audits and oversight, Budget and taxes

Publisher's summary

The District paid nine professional service providers $8.3 million during the 2017-18 school year for various services. We found that the District had Board-approved contracts or agreements on file for all nine service providers. Payments to the service providers were generally made at the appropriate rates and in accordance with contract provisions. However, we found payments to two service providers totaling $477,000 (10 percent) were not supported by sufficient documentation to ascertain that services were rendered in accordance with the contract. The District paid $275,000 for information technology support services even though the claims lacked descriptions of the services provided and documentation demonstrating how the rate of compensation was determined or by whom. We also found that invoices submitted by the occupation and physical therapy service provider totaling $202,000 were not sufficiently itemized or detailed to support all hours billed.

Original document

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number of devices based on recent purchases and user accounts. We reviewed
inventory records and scanned devices logged onto the network and found that
the amount billed was reasonable. However, department heads and the claims
auditor are not in a position to effectively monitor service provider activity and
ensure claims paid are accurate if the basis for payment has not been clearly
established and documented.

We also found that invoices submitted by the occupation and physical therapy
service provider totaling $202,000 were not sufficiently itemized or detailed to
support all hours billed. Although the service provider had a written contract
with the District, the contract did not specify documentation requirements to be
paid. As a result, the claims auditor approved these claims for payment even
though the claims lacked specific dates or adequate descriptions of the services
that were provided. However, District officials subsequently obtained additional
information from the service provider and were able to determine that charges
were appropriate and reasonable.

District officials should require that service providers submit claims with adequate
documentation to ensure the District does not pay for services that it does
not receive, overpay for services or pay for services that do not comply with
contractual conditions and rates.

What Do We Recommend?
District officials should:

  1. Ensure that contracts clearly define the basis for compensation and the
  documentation required for payment.

  2. Require that service providers submit documentation that includes the
  dates and services provided before authorizing payment.

  3. Require that department heads perform a deliberate and thorough
  review of invoices prior to approval to ensure claims for payment are in
  accordance with written agreements.

The claims auditor should:

  4. Properly audit and approve claims prior to payment.

  Of f ic e of t he New York State Comptroller  3