Merl Grove audit reveals grave breaches, weaknesses

Edmond Campbell/Senior Staff Reporter

An audit by the Education Ministry has unveiled numerous internal weaknesses and breaches of the Financial Administration and Audit (FAA) Act at the beleaguered Merl Grove High School in St Andrew.

The audit, covering the period September 2017 to August 2020, also uncovered breaches of other regulations.

A special audit team from the Ministry visited the Merl Grove High School in November 2020 to review its financial records and to investigate its adherence to required processes.

According to the ministry, the financial records were of grave concern in some areas and needed immediate intervention.

Conclusions from the probe were derived from interviews with the principal and bursar and other staff members as well as examination of critical accounting and other financial records such as lodgement books, bank statements, payment vouchers, cash books, receipt books and canteen records.

The audit revealed that cash collected for summer school for the years 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/2020 were not collected by the bursary or lodged to the school's account.

The report alleged that, when asked, the principal stated that the funds collected belonged to the teachers and the board was aware that funds were not being lodged to the school's account, but used for a staff trip and payments.

The records showed that the last time summer school funds were lodged to Merl Grove's account was in 2016/17 in the amount of $878, 000.

The audit noted that canteen operation during the summer of each academic year indicated that summer school was kept each year.

The audit showed that cheque number 10002627 in the sum of $20, 000 was used to purchase gas and toll charges for a summer school staff trip.

According to the audit, the management of cash was not in keeping with the requirements of FAA Act and proper cash control procedures.

Further, receipts were not available for cash collected from fundraisers and it was not lodged to the school's account.

It was also reported that the 95th anniversary and gala showed expenditure totalling $1.9 million across three accounts and income totalling $7,000.00 in November 2019. 

The audit noted that this should be investigated.

Efforts to reach Merl Grove principal Dr Marjorie Fullerton were unsuccessful as her phone rang without an answer.

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