The background and purpose of a publication by the National Council on Governmental Accounting (NCGA) is important to school administrators because the accounting principles are being incorporated in a publication for school systems. (Author/MLF)

Standards and principles recommended for formal adoption as the Association of School Business Officials'"official" policy on the subject. (Author/MLF)

Sequential and retrievable records combined with listed internal control techniques are the basics of accounting. (MLF)

Outlines internal-auditing strategies necessitated by decentralization. Describes the following areas of concern: the student activities account, student attendance, and funding delegated to the site level. Guidelines for conducting an internal audit are also included. (LMI)

In late 1994, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued new rules applicable to issuers of municipal securities (including school districts) concerning disclosure to the investment community. Describes how SEC's existing Rule 15c2-12 has been implemented. Discusses its purpose, jurisdiction, obligated persons, written…

Describes how the Muskoka Board of Education in Bracebridge, Ontario, revised its purchasing and budget-management system to coincide with its new site-based management policy. The district developed individual school budgets, established an online computing network, and acquired software that permitted remote-site entry. (LMI)

Although student-activity funds usually represent a small portion of school-system monies, their very nature makes them a high risk. Outlines three steps for maintaining an efficient and effective system of controls over student-activity funds: (1) identifying control issues; (2) designing a control system; and (3) using checks and balances.…

Asserts the importance of each school business official's responsibility to accurately report the school's financial situation to the state legislature. Uses Minnesota's 33 area vocational technical institutes to illustrate the application of statewide uniform financial accounting and reporting standards to Minnesota public school districts. (JBM)

Addresses the need of school districts in many states to decide on an appropriate mingling of centralization and decentralization in the operation of activity funds. Argues for analysis of activity fund operation through a breakdown into such major components as policy, the accounting system, and reporting and auditing. (JBM)