ALBANY – A two-year review of the Poughkeepsie City School District’s procurement and claim processing has come under fire from the State Comptroller’s Office.
The study looked at the period July 1, 2016 through July 18, 2018.
Among the findings of the review were that the school board did not seek competition for professional services totaling approximately $1.6 million or competitively bid purchase and public works contracts totaling some $6.1 million.
It also said the board did not have written agreements with nine professional service providers paid a total of $968,545 during the audit period.
The report also said the director for technology circumvented the procurement policy and ordered various items only totaling $71,226, including $4,596 in shopping costs.
Key recommendations of the audit include ensuring purchases subject to the competitive bidding thresholds are made in accordance with general municipal law; entering into written agreements with all professional service providers; and ensuring that all purchases are subject to the district’s procurement process.
Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric Rosser wrote in a December 5, 2019 response that the board of education “has reviewed the draft report provided on Procurement and Claims Auditing, and agrees with the findings noted.”
He wrote the district “will develop a corrective action plan based upon the … recommendations in our report.”
Rosser joined the school district in mid-2019.
