PSS no longer required to submit quarterly reports

The Public School System is no longer required to submit quarterly audit reports to the U.S. Department of Education following its reported compliance with previous federal citations.

As a result, the department is no longer expected to hire an auditor for that purpose.

In a June 2 e-mail to education commissioner Rita H. Inos, Christine Jackson of USDE said that PSS does not need to audit future quarterly reports as part of the requirement to submit such reports.

The decision, she said “is based on evidence of the timely submission of recent audits and receiving clean audit opinions.”

But this development does not remove the PSS from “high-risk” status, which was imposed last year due to PSS’ failure to submit annual audit reports on time since 1997.

“We’re still on the high-risk status but this latest news from USDE is very positive, which is a step toward the removal from the list,” said Board of Education chair Roman Benavente.

He earlier said that USDE representatives, led by Phil Maestri and Jackson, noted that while the PSS has complied with the requirements, the lifting of the high-risk status takes time.

Inos, meantime, reported that the team was very impressed with the USDE visit to PSS last month, and that the delegation intends to recommend the de-listing of PSS from the status.

Maestri reportedly noted that PSS was given the status because of delinquent audits.

“Since PSS is current in its audits and has an excellent audit opinion, the PSS will be the only insular area that he will recommend for de-listing,” said Inos.

The USDE team reportedly reviewed the audits with PSS’ independent auditor, Scott Maglliari, the Office of the Public Auditor, and PSS leadership team and the BOE.

The team was composed of Tina Otter, Jackson, Maestri, Mark Robinson, and Todd Jones.

The PSS was designated a “high risk” grantee last year due to unresolved delays and gaps in PSS’ submission of audit reports.

PSS failed to submit audited financial reports on time under the Single Audit Act for fiscal years 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Aside from being late, the audits reportedly did not have appropriate information to meet the requirements of the Act.

PSS acknowledged the late submission, but it said everything had been corrected. PSS said it is now current in its audits and has an excellent audit opinion.