The Plymouth School Board is adding more clarity to the way certain bills are paid. Normally, claims are approved by the school board before they’re paid. But in some instances, the school corporation may be contractually obligated to pay them before board members have a chance to approve them.
The Plymouth School Board passed a resolution last week authorizing the corporation business manager to send a check prior to the board’s review, if necessary. The school corporation has been doing this before now, with the school board granting a similar authorization each January. But Business Manager Kandi Tinkey said the State Board of Accounts had some questions about the process, following a recent audit.
Superintendent Andy Hartley explained that the new resolution is more precise, to reduce confusion in the future. “The one in January was more kind of broad-scope, open-ended, ‘You can pay your claims in advance,’” he told board members. “This one is indicating and clarifying that if we have something due before the next board meeting, you’re giving us permission to pay, which is what we’ve been doing. But if it’s not due until after the board meeting, then we’ll wait until the board meeting and the board has authorized it, before we pay it.”
Corporation Attorney Jeff Houin added that the new resolution more closely follows the language in state statute.
