The Grandview R-2 School District is conducting a special financial audit of the district, and Angela Huskey, business manager for the district, has been put on paid administrative leave.
Like all school districts, Grandview has an audit each year, but this additional audit was prompted by concerns about district’s practices concerning its finances, Superintendent Matt Zoph said.
“We wanted to take a deeper look into our finances to make sure we are doing things properly,” Zoph said.
The superintendent said because of the ongoing audit, he would not elaborate on what prompted concerns about the district’s finances. He said the district would have a clearer financial picture when the audit is complete.
School board president Randy Wakeland declined to comment.
Zoph said he put longtime business manager Huskey, who is also the school board secretary and treasurer, on paid administrative leave Oct. 20.
“She is still an employee of the district,” he said.
Huskey has been with the district since May 1996. Her annual salary is $44,243.
Huskey did not return two phone messages left at her home.
The Grandview Board of Education unanimously voted to conduct the audit and spend up to $10,000 to do so in a closed session at its Oct. 20 meeting. On Nov. 17, the board voted to increase the spending allowance on the audit to $50,000.
“When it was approved (Oct. 20), we didn’t know how much an audit would cost. We wanted to approve whatever it would take, so that they have the freedom to look into it,” Zoph said.
The district has hired Daniel Jones and Associates of Arnold to conduct the special audit. Zoph said Schowalter and Jobouri Financial Services of St. Louis County has done the district’s annual audit for several years for a fee ranging between $10,000 and $15,000.
Zoph said he expects the audit to be completed soon.
“We’re hoping to have a report in January,” he said.