Pubdate: Thu, 14 Dec 2006
Source: Nevada Appeal (Carson City, NV)
Copyright: 2006 Nevada Appeal
Contact:  http://www.nevadaappeal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/896
Author: Marlene Garcia

DRUG TESTING, AUDIT ON SCHOOL AGENDA

Churchill County School District's superintendent is  advising the 
board of trustees to hold off approving a  drug and alcohol testing 
policy for school district  employees amid controversy over the draft document.

Trustees will consider the proposed policy at their 7  p.m. meeting 
tonight at Numa Elementary School.

A memo to the board from Superintendent Carolyn Ross  suggests 
trustees should not approve the policy now but  allow further review 
and discussions. She plans to put  the item back on the board's 
agenda for its Jan. 25  meeting.

School employee associations objected to part of the  policy that 
would mandate drug or alcohol testing  whenever an employee filed a 
worker's compensation  claim. That section has been removed from the 
draft  policy, while other provisions have been added since  the 
board heard a first reading of the document last  month.

"There have been a number of changes," said Finance  Director Jim 
Sustacha. "At the last meeting, people  were upset with the policy. I 
don't know what other  changes might be made before it goes to the board."

Sustacha said the policy is no longer being handled by  his 
department, but has been turned over to the human  resource department.

Other changes to the policy include drug testing during  a 
pre-employment screening, during an employee's  probationary period 
and for vendor contract compliance.  The limit for property damage in 
an accident that would  require drug testing has been lowered from 
$1,000 to  $500.

Also on the board agenda is the result of the  district's audit for 
the fiscal year ending June 30.

Auditors from Kafoury, Armstong & Co. are making 11  recommendations 
to cure problems found during the  audit.

The firm also included last year's recommendations on  20 
irregularities and the status those suggestions.

"Since the district was unable to hire an accountant  until April 27, 
2006, there was a lack of adequate  supervision of the financial 
reporting process for most  of the fiscal year," a report from the 
accounting  company states. ... "We are pleased to report, however, 
that we believe the district has taken the appropriate  actions to 
strengthen the district's finance  department."

Sean Richardson, who is a certified public accountant  with 
governmental accounting experience, started work  May 8, just one 
month before the fiscal year ended.

This will be the final school board meeting for  trustees who did not 
seek re-election or were defeated  in the November election.

School board meetings are open to the public.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine