FILE:  DIA

 

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM

 

 

The St. John the Baptist 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 shall require 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 School 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 or his/her designee.

 

SCHOOL FUNDS

 

The School Board shall require 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.  Pertinent regulations and procedures shall be maintained by the Superintendent and staff.  Such funds shall be subject to regular audit by the internal audit department 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 his designee. 

 

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, the Board shall provide financial assistance relative to student activity programs within each school.

 

CASH RECEIPTS

 

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board recognizes that although the majority of the School Board funds are received electronically, from time to time payments in the form of checks or credit cards may be received.  It is the policy of the School Board not to accept cash as payments for any amounts owed the Board but to only accept certified checks, money orders, or credit cards.  Cash may still be received by the individual schools subject to the policies outlined in the Student Activity Fund Accounting Manual. 

 

Procedures for Receiving Checks and Credit Card Payments

 

The procedures for receiving checks are:

 

  1. The receptionist must receive all checks and log them into the daily receipt check log.
     

  2. At the end of each day these checks are turned into the bookkeeping department to the accounting clerk assigned to make deposits.  The clerk is assigned by the Business Manager.
     

  3. The clerk makes out a deposit, keeping a copy of the deposit ticket and all checks, and deposits on a daily basis.
     

  4. The clerk records the deposit into the School Board’s accounting system, in accordance with procedures outlined in the Accounting Handbook.
     

  5. To have adequate separation of duties, this clerk cannot perform the bank reconciliation.

 

The procedures for accepting credit card payments are:

 

  1. When someone would like to pay an amount owed the School Board with a credit card, the bookkeeping department will handle the transaction directly.
     

  2. The clerk records the credit card transaction (after approval) and keeps a signed copy and gives a copy to the credit card holder.
     

  3. The clerk records the deposit into the School Board’s accounting system in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Accounting Handbook.
     

  4. To have adequate separation of duties, this clerk cannot perform the bank reconciliation.

 

Revised:  March, 2006

 

 

Ref:     La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:196, 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, 39:1315

Board minutes, 3-2-06

 

St. John the Baptist Parish School Board