It looks like money may have been stolen from student lunch accounts at Athena Elementary School, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
De Soto School District Superintendent Josh Isaacson estimated the missing funds could be “in the hundreds.”
However, he said school officials won’t know the exact amount until the investigation is completed.
As part of that investigation, the district has hired the Daniel Jones & Associates accounting firm to complete a forensic financial audit into the “fiscal irregularities” in the food service program, Isaacson said.
The Board of Education authorized the hiring of the accounting firm at an
April 11 special meeting, Isaacson said.
The forensic audit is scheduled for April 29 and will cost $200 an hour, he said.
Isaacson said he doesn’t believe funds are missing from student lunch accounts at any of the district’s other schools.
“At this time we believe the matter is isolated to the Athena campus,” he said.
Isaacson said two district employees brought the matter to the attention of district administration on April 4.
He said the investigation is focused on a former employee of Chartwells, the company the district pays to run its food service program.
Isaacson said a company named SFE will be the district’s food service provider next school year, but the change occurred through a competitive bidding process, not because of the alleged missing funds.
Isaacson sent a letter to district parents about the investigation into the alleged missing money, and said it began when financial irregularities were discovered in two student lunch accounts at Athena.
On Monday, Isaacson said the audit will help the district correct the student accounts that were affected.
He said Chartwells is cooperating in the investigation and has agreed to cover any missing lunch account funds that are uncovered during the investigation.
“Our goal is to ensure every cent is returned to our kids and our families,” Isaacson said. “If individuals have concerns regarding their student’s account, they can contact me via email.”
The district already is being audited by the state Auditor’s Office. That audit began in April 2018, following a petition drive organized by a group of district residents who said they were concerned about the way school officials had been handling finances.
When the audit began, the Auditor’s Office said it could take a year or so to complete.
Isaacson said Monday that the Auditor’s Office is “finalizing the petition audit.”
He said any information uncovered by the forensic audit will be included in the state audit. The state audit will cost the district an estimated $50,000 to $70,000, the Auditor’s Office reported last year.
When the state audit is complete, a report of the findings will be made public, the office reported.