Auditors fault district on price quotes

A $2,668 expenditure on a "pre-prom gala" for Center Moriches High School students got rapped Monday by state auditors, who noted the district's failure to obtain competitive price quotes.

Local school officials acknowledge they should have sought quotes from at least three vendors, under the district's own rules.

But they defended the last-minute decision to hold a pre-prom party at the high school as an effort to guard against underage drinking and driving mishaps.

"It's well worth the slap on the hand," said Superintendent Russell J. Stewart. "As a father of four myself, I can tell you, 'Hey, parents have the peace of mind of knowing their children are safe.' "

The pre-prom expenses are highlighted in an audit report released Monday by the State Comptroller's Office. It cites sloppy financial procedures in the 1,500-student Center Moriches district, including frequent failures to seek price quotes on purchases of $1,000 or more as required.

Auditors sampled random purchases totaling $36,005. They found that nearly a quarter of the expenditures, totaling $8,461, lacked competitive quotes.

Price comparisons can "protect against favoritism, extravagance, fraud and corruption," noted the comptroller's report. The report found no evidence of deliberate wrongdoing in Center Moriches.

The audit covered district spending during the school year that ended July 31, 2010.

Stewart, who took over as schools chief that month, says the district has since tightened its procedures. That will include enforcement of rules requiring at least three documented price quotes on purchases ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Higher expenditures require formal bidding.

District officials describe the pre-prom party, held in the spring of 2010, as a last-minute decision that required them to hire a food vendor without comparative pricing.

Students going to the prom were required first to show up for the high-school party, then ride chartered buses to the dance, held at a catering site.

Stewart added that the pre-prom party proved such a success it was repeated last spring.

"It's a wonderful, wonderful event," he said. "All the kids enter on a red carpet."