Highlights

• Role of ASBA Governance Task Force
• Protocol being developed to guide school boards operating schools outside of their boundaries
• Futurist headlines SGM

Please distribute to trustees, superintendent and the secretary-treasurer. For more information contact Suzanne Lundrigan at 1.780.451.7122.

15 more school boards have annual operating
deficits – Alberta Auditor General’s report

See page 197 to 200 of the Auditor General’s 2010 report (PDF–1M) for his observations about Alberta’s public education system. The auditor general’s commentary is based on a review of the management letters that auditors sent to 75 jurisdictions (62 school boards and 13 charter schools.)

20 boards reported operating deficits in 2009
20 school boards had operating deficits up from five in 2008

Total annual operating surpluses drops by $100 million
Together, the 75 jurisdictions reviewed by the auditor general had a total annual operating surplus of $15.6 million in 2009 – down from $138 million in 2008.

Here is some of the advice individual auditors provided to jurisdictions (including charter schools):

• 18 jurisdictions need to address accounting issues with regard to non-monetary transactions, proper recording, reviewing and reconciling journal entries and recording school generated revenue
• 7 jurisdictions need to ensure board approvals are obtained for board minutes, superintendent expenses and plans to spend school generated funds
• 2 jurisdictions need to ensure the board appoints management with financial expertise to provide financial oversight; board needs to work with management in budgeting, variance analysis and cash flow to maintain and strengthen overall stewardship
• 2 jurisdictions need to improve their budget process
• 7 jurisdictions need to improve their review of financial information such as bank reconciliations, journal entries and monthly financial statements
• 5 jurisdictions need to ensure accounting transactions, accruals, receivables or financial statements are prepared or recorded on a regular and timely basis
• 18 jurisdictions need to improve cash management processes and controls
• 14 jurisdictions need to improve recording and tracking of capital assets
• 18 jurisdictions need to improve controls over the accuracy of and access to payroll information
• 13 jurisdictions need to update or implement formal procedures and policies
• 12 jurisdictions need to improve controls over the purchase cycle such as the review and authorization processes over purchases and payments, employee sign off for goods received and retention of supporting documents
• 11 jurisdictions need to improve computer security processes

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First Nations, Métis and Inuit student success task force set

Closing the achievement gap for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students is a strategic priority for the Alberta School Boards Association. To further this work, the ASBA Board of Directors has established the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Success Task Force.
Meet the task force members:    
Dianne Lavoie, Zone 1 Director Task Force Chair  
Beatrice Wright, Holy Family Catholic, Zone 1
Darrell Ghostkeeper, Living Waters CRD, Zone 2/3
Rob Reimer, Wetaskiwin RPS, Zone 4
Ron Kenworthy, Golden Hills, Zone 5
Kathy Cooper, Prairie Rose, Zone 6
Cindy Olsen, Edmonton Catholic
Brian Callaghan, Superintendent, Canadian Rockies

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