Putnam audit findings "disgraceful"

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - An audit of the Putnam Vocational Technical High School in Springfield revealed some sketchy financial records. As a result, four people were fired, two resigned, and one was demoted.

Dr. Alan Ingram went on the record about the audit on Wednesday. He told 22News that what this audit revealed was "Disgraceful."

"Some of the infractions revealed in the audit include the use of school funds to purchase equipment for personal use, double billing the system for reimbursements," Ingram said.

This was an exhaustive 13-month audit of financial transactions at the school that mainly found problems with the school's administration, automotive, carpentry, and graphic arts departments.
It cites problems like using school funds to purchase equipment such as cameras and computers for personal use.

Other discrepancies include missing receipts, unreconciled bank statements, and unchecked cash advances.

The school department is putting in place new safeguards to make sure nothing like this ever happen again. The safeguards include closing an illegal checking account, documenting formal policies and cash management, installing cash registers, and establishing a financial analyst and accounting manager at the school.

The school department says they will now go one by one, auditing every single school in the district. The state's attorney general's office will determine if criminal charges should be filed.

You can read the complete audit report on the city's website at springfieldcityhall.com.