0173. DUTIES OF PUBLIC SCHOOL ACCOUNTANT

The Board will engage only a licensed public school accountant to conduct the annual audit in accordance with N.J.S.A.  18A:23-1 et seq.  The accountant must have an external peer/quality report performed in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.2(i)1, unless the accountant or firm can show good cause as to why there was a delay completing such report within the required timelines established by Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States.  The Board will acknowledge the receipt, review, and evaluation of the external peer/quality report in the public session and Board minutes in which the accountant or firm to perform the audit is engaged.

The Board will require the submission of an updated external peer/quality report of the accountant within thirty days after the issuance date of the external peer/quality report if the report is issued prior to the date of the audit opinion for the most recent fiscal year.

In accordance with NJOMB Circular Letter 98-07, the public school accountant will provide a copy of the most recent external peer/quality report to the Department of Education, within thirty days after the initial engagement by the Board and within thirty days after the issuance of a subsequent peer/quality report.

The Board shall engage a public school accountant during the audit engagement period for non-auditing, management, or other consulting services only if such services comply with the independent standards as established in Government Auditing Standards (Yellow Book) by the Comptroller General of the United States.

The Board may be prohibited for good cause by the Commissioner of Education from engaging a particular licensed public school accountant, or may be directed by the Commissioner on a process to be used in the appointment of a licensed public school accountant pursuant to N.J.A.C.  6A:23A-16.2(i)4.

The public school accountant will complete the annual audit as required by the Department of Education and N.J.S.A.  18A:23-2.  Each annual audit shall include an audit of the books, accounts and moneys, and verification of all cash and bank balances of the Board and of any officer or employee and of moneys derived from athletic events or other activities of any organization of pupils conducted under the auspices of the Board, from the date of the last annual audit to the date of the current audit.  The audit will also include a determination of the extent to which the district used contracts entered into by the State Division of Purchase and Property pursuant to P.L. 1969 c. 104 (C.52:25-16.1 et seq.) in the purchase of materials, supplies or equipment for the district.  The report of each audit will be completed in accordance with the time requirements of MN.J.S.A. 18A:23-1 and will be filed by the public school accountant in accordance with N.J.S.A.  18A:23-2.3.

Within thirty days following receipt of the report of the Board, at a regularly scheduled public meeting, will cause the recommendations of the accountant to be read and discussed and the discussion will be duly noted in the Board meeting minutes in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:23-5.  The Board Secretary will prepare or have prepared a summary of the annual audit for this Board meeting in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:23-4. 

N.J.S.A.  18A:23-1 et seq.
N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.2

Cross reference:  Policy Guide No. 6830

Date Adopted:	October 18, 2010
Date Revised:	June 16, 2020