Audits of Local Governments & Schools

The Office of the New York State Comptroller’s Division of Local Government and School Accountability conducts performance audits of local governments and school districts. Performance audits provide findings or conclusions based on an evaluation of evidence against criteria. Local officials use audit findings to improve program performance and operations, reduce costs and contribute to public accountability.

For audits older than 2013, contact us at [email protected].

For audits of State and NYC agencies and public authorities, see Audits.

Topics
School District | Claims Auditing, Other

July 25, 2025 –

The claims auditors did not properly audit all claims prior to payment. Of the 1,467 claims totaling $24.2 million, we reviewed 266 claims totaling $7.7 million (some claim packets contained multiple exceptions) and determined that: 230 claims (86 percent) totaling $6.5 million should not have been approved by the claims auditors for payment because the claim packets did not contain sufficient supporting documentation to allow the claims auditor to determine whether the claim was a valid legal obligation, a proper charge against the District, properly approved, mathematically correct, or in compliance with the District’s purchasing policies. 14 BOCES claims (5 percent) totaling $5.2 million were not properly audited as it was the Board’s responsibility to do so because the claims auditors were employees of BOCES. When the Board audits these claims, it avoids the appearance of a conflict of interest that would result from the appointed claims auditor reviewing their own or their employer’s claims for payment.

School District, Statewide Audit | Other

July 25, 2025 –

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by NYS Public Health Law and Department of Health (DOH) regulations. We determined 36 of the 76 (47 percent) water outlets we identified at select areas, that students, staff and the public may have access to and could consume water from were not sampled or properly exempted by District officials during Cycle Two. This occurred because District officials did not have a sampling plan to identify all water outlets for sampling or exemption.

School District, Statewide Audit | Other

July 25, 2025 –

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by NYS Public Health Law and Department of Health (DOH) regulations. We determined 207 of the 567 (37 percent) water outlets we identified at select areas, that students, staff and the public may have access to and could consume water from, were not sampled or properly exempted by District officials for Cycle Two. This occurred because District officials did not have a sampling plan to identify all water outlets for sampling or exemption.

School District, Statewide Audit | Other

July 25, 2025 –

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by NYS Public Health Law and Department of Health (DOH) regulations. We determined 149 of the 313 (48 percent) water outlets we identified that students, staff and the public may have access to and could consume water from, were not sampled or properly exempted by District officials during Cycle Two. Although the District had sampling and remedial action plans that identified water outlets for sampling and which water outlets they exempted, District officials did not properly secure any of the water outlets they exempted against use.

Village | Employee Benefits, Other

July 25, 2025 –

Determine whether Village of Penn Yan (Village) officials properly approved, monitored and controlled overtime costs of water treatment plant (WTP) employees.

School District | Purchasing

July 25, 2025 –

Although the Superintendent knew that District policy prohibited District employees from using District-purchased assets for personal use, he directed the Manager to purchase food totaling approximately $1,300 for the Superintendent’s private personal event. Without the Superintendent’s involvement, the Manager also purchased food totaling $100 for a District teacher to serve at a different private non-District event. Both of these purchases were inappropriate and not for a proper District purpose.

City, Industrial Development Agency | Other

July 25, 2025 –

The purpose of our review was to assess the City of Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency’s (IDA’s) progress, as of September 2024, in implementing our recommendations in the audit report City of Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency – Project Approval and Monitoring (2021M-168), released in July 2022.

School District | Financial Condition

July 18, 2025 –

The Board and District officials did not properly manage the District’s fund balance. The Board appropriated surplus fund balance, in part, because it adopted budgets that annually overestimated appropriations by an average of $1.3 million (9 percent) per year, or a cumulative total of approximately $6.4 million. The majority of the overestimated appropriations ($5.6 million) were for special education instruction.

School District | Other

July 18, 2025 –

The purpose of our review was to assess the Port Jervis City School District’s (District’s) progress, as of March 2025, in implementing our recommendations in the audit report Port Jervis City School District – Financial Condition (20252), released in November 2022.

Town | Cash Disbursements

July 18, 2025 –

The Board did not conduct a thorough and deliberate audit of all claims paid during the audit period. As a result, we identified claims being paid without the Board’s knowledge. We reviewed all 647 non-payroll disbursements made during the audit period totaling approximately $2.1 million.

School District, Statewide Audit | Other

July 18, 2025 –

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by NYS Public Health Law and Department of Health (DOH) regulations. We determined 12 of the 333 water outlets we identified at select areas, that students, staff and the public may have access to and could consume water from, were not sampled or properly exempted by District officials for Cycle Two. This occurred because District officials did not have a sampling plan to identify all water outlets for sampling or exemption.

Fire District | Other

July 18, 2025 –

Determine whether the Roosevelt Fire District (District) Board of Fire Commissioners (Board) properly monitored the District’s length of service award program (LOSAP).

School District | Other

July 18, 2025 –

The purpose of our review was to assess the Greenwood Lake Union Free School District’s (District’s) progress, as of February 2025, in implementing our recommendations in the audit report Greenwood Lake Union Free School District – Procurement and Claims Processing (2021M-147), released in December 2021.

School District, Statewide Audit | Other

July 18, 2025 –

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by NYS Public Health Law and Department of Health (DOH) regulations. We determined 130 of the 223 (58 percent) water outlets we identified at select areas that students, staff and the public may have access to and could consume water from, were not sampled or properly exempted by District officials for Cycle Two. This occurred because District officials did not have a sampling plan to identify all water outlets for sampling or exemption.

BOCES | Other, Revenues

July 18, 2025 –

Although BOCES officials properly claimed BOCES aid totaling $3.8 million for administrative expenditures, officials claimed excess BOCES aid for their component districts for facility rental costs. This occurred because they improperly included total facility rental revenue received by BOCES without deducting portions that were not paid by component districts. As a result, all 23 component districts collectively received almost $2 million more BOCES aid than they were entitled to for approved facilities expenditures.

Fire District, Miscellaneous | Other, Purchasing

July 18, 2025 –

Determine whether the Hyde Park Fire and Water District (District) Board of Trustees (Board) procured capital assets, goods and services in a cost-effective and transparent manner.

School District | Employee Benefits, Other

July 18, 2025 –

Determine whether Center Moriches Union Free School District (District) officials made accurate, approved and supported payroll payments to employees for tutoring, covering classes, chaperoning and sports scorekeeping.

School District, Statewide Audit | Other

July 11, 2025 –

District officials did not properly identify, report or implement needed remediation to reduce lead exposure in all potable water outlets as required by NYS Public Health Law and Department of Health (DOH) regulations. We determined 95 of the 246 (39 percent) water outlets we identified at select areas, that students, staff and the public may have access to and could consume water from, were not sampled or properly exempted by District officials for Cycle Two. Because there is no information on the lead levels of the 95 water outlets not sampled for testing or properly exempted by the District, we were unable to determine whether officials identified and remediated all water outlets that would have required it. This occurred because District officials did not include all water outlets in their sampling plan to identify outlets for sampling or exemption.

Village | Cash Receipts, Other, Records and Reports

July 11, 2025 –

Determine whether the Village of Addison (Village) Clerk-Treasurer properly deposited, recorded, reported and disbursed Village funds.

Town | Capital Projects

July 11, 2025 –

Determine whether the Town of Lodi (Town) Board (Board) adequately managed the Town Hall Capital Project (Project).