§ 16-2-9.4 - School district accounting compliance. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-2-9.4

   § 16-2-9.4  School district accountingcompliance. – (a) The office of auditor general and the department of elementary andsecondary education shall promulgate a uniform system of accounting, includinga chart of accounts based on the recommendations of the advisory council onschool finance, and require all accounts of the school districts, regionalschool districts, state schools and charter schools to be kept in accordancetherewith; provided, that in any case in which the uniform system of accountingis not practicable, the office of auditor general in conjunction with thedepartment of elementary and secondary education shall determine the manner inwhich the accounts shall be kept.

   (b) For the purpose of securing a uniform system ofaccounting and a chart of accounts the advisory council on school finances, asdefined in § 16-2-9.2 may make such surveys of the operation of any schooldistricts, regional school district, state school or charter school as theyshall deem necessary.

   (c) If any school district, regional school district, stateschool or charter school fails to install and maintain the uniform system ofaccounting, including a chart of accounts, or fails to keep its accounts andinterdepartmental records, or refuses or neglects to make the reports and tofurnish the information in accordance with the method prescribed by the officeof auditor general and the department of education or hinders or prevents theexamination of accounts and financial records, the auditor general and thecommissioner of education may make a report to the board of regents forelementary and secondary education in writing, specifying the nature and extentof the failure, refusal, neglect, hindrance, or prevention, and the board ofregents is hereby authorized and directed to review the matter so reported. Ifthe regents shall find that failure, refusal, neglect, hindrance, or preventionexists and that the school district, regional school district, state school orcharter school should properly comply in the matter so reported, the regentsshall direct the school district, regional school district, state school orcharter school, in writing, to so comply. If the failure, refusal, neglect,hindrance, or prevention shall continue for a period of ten (10) days followingthe written direction, the regents may withhold distribution of state aid tosaid school district, regional school district, state school or charter school.