A press release from Thomas P. DiNapoli’s office has noted that the state Comptroller’s Office finished 216 school and BOCES audits in 2008, putting it on time to finish auditing every public school district and BOCES in New York by March 31, 2010.

The state vowed to audit each of the public school entities between 2005 and 2010 after audits of the Roslyn, L.I., district found that the district’s administrators were wasting, stealing and misappropriating taxpayer monies, in part because of poor oversight and inadequate controls.

“My office’s audit are a resource for both school officials and taxpayers to ensure that public money is spent efficiently and appropriately,” DiNapoli is quoted in the release. “Education is a major expense for taxpayers and a major investment for New York. Every dime counts and my office’s audits work to make sure school districts are using sound financial management practices while providing school officials with the guidance they need to manage and spend tax dollars wisely.”

Public schools by law must be audited every year; the state Comptroller’s Office is an additional audit that concentrates on practices and procedures.

So far, the audits have found several recurring themes: payments to school officials for services not in their contracts or when they leave a district; problems with claims, contracts and vendor procedures; and security issues with district information technology procedures.

To view the 2008 annual report on School District Accountability, visit http:/www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/schoolsfa/sda08.pdf.