NY Educ L § 2116-A (2021)
2021 New York Laws EDN - Education Title 2 - School District Organization Article 43 - School District Officers--Town and County Officials Part 1 - General Provisions 2116-A - Books and Records to Be Kept by School Districts.

§ 2116-a. Books  and  records  to  be kept by school districts. Unless otherwise prescribed  by  the  state  comptroller  pursuant  to  section thirty-six of the general municipal law:   1.  All  school  districts  shall  be  required  to maintain books and records in such form as the commissioner of education shall approve.   2. All school districts,  except  those  employing  fewer  than  eight teachers,  shall  be  required  to use a double entry bookkeeping system incorporating the fund method of accounting in accordance with a uniform system of accounts approved by the commissioner  of  education  and  any school  district under the jurisdiction of a district superintendent may at its option  request  the  district  superintendent  to  provide  such accounting service. The cost of accounting service so requested shall be allocated  by  the  district superintendent to and be paid by the school district receiving such service.   3. (a) The school authorities of each school  district,  except  those employing  fewer  than  eight  teachers,  but  including the city school districts of the cities of Buffalo and Rochester, shall obtain an annual audit of its records by an independent certified public accountant or an independent public accountant. The report of such annual audit shall  be presented  to the trustees or board of education by such accountant. The board of education of the city school district of the city of New  York, districts  of  such city shall obtain an annual audit by the comptroller of the  city  of  New  York,  or  by  an  independent  certified  public accountant  or  an  independent  public  accountant.  Such  city  school district audit shall  include,  but  not  be  limited  to,  transactions processed  at  the  level  of  the  central  administrative  office, the district, and the individual school. The  community  districts  of  such city school district shall obtain an annual audit by the bureau of audit of the board of education of the city school district of the city of New York  or by an independent certified public accountant or an independent public accountant. A copy of the audit report in form prescribed by  the commissioner  and  certified  by  the accountant, or, in the city school district of the city of New York or the community districts therein,  by the  accountant,  or the comptroller or bureau of audit, as the case may be, shall  be  furnished  to  the  commissioner  on  or  before  October fifteenth following the end of the fiscal year audited, except that such report shall be furnished to the commissioner on or before January first following  the  end  of  the  fiscal  year  audited  for the city school districts of the cities of Buffalo, Rochester,  Syracuse,  Yonkers,  and New York and for the community school districts of the city of New York.  (b)  On  or after July first, two thousand five, all school districts, except the city school district of the city of New York, shall utilize a competitive request for  proposal  process  when  contracting  for  such annual  audit.  In  addition, on or after July first, two thousand five, and applicable to all school districts, no audit engagement shall be for a term longer than  five  consecutive  years;  provided,  however,  that nothing   in   this  subdivision  shall  preclude  a  district,  in  its discretion, from permitting an independent certified  public  accountant or  an  independent public accountant engaged under an existing contract for such services to (i) submit a proposal for such services in response to a request for competitive proposals, or (ii) be awarded a contract to provide such services under  a  request  for  proposal  process.  School district procurement policies and procedures adopted pursuant to section one  hundred  four-b  of  the general municipal law shall be amended, if necessary, to be consistent with this requirement.  (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph  one  of  paragraph (b)  of subdivision four of section thirty-five of the general municipal law, each school district shall (i) prepare a corrective action plan  in  response  to  any findings contained in the annual external audit report or management letter, or any final audit  report  issued  by  the  state comptroller, within ninety days of receipt of such report or letter, and (ii)  to the extent practicable, begin implementation of such corrective action plan no later than the end of the next fiscal year.   3-a. In addition to the annual audit required by subdivision three  of this  section, each school district and board of cooperative educational services within the state shall  be  subject  to  audits  of  the  state conducted by the comptroller as set forth in section thirty-three of the general municipal law.   3-b.  Each  school  district  shall  in  a  timely fashion post on its website, if any, the annual external audit  report  and  the  corrective action plan prepared in response to any findings contained in the annual external  audit  report  or management letter, or any final audit report issued by the state comptroller.   4. The school authorities  of  each  school  district  may  employ  or contract  for  the  preparation  of  payrolls,  accounts  and records by persons, firms or corporations using electronic computer systems.