(WNY News Now) – New York – A recent audit of Cattaraugus-Allegany-Erie-Wyoming Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) has revealed significant lapses in the maintenance of capital asset records, leading to concerns about accountability and potential losses.
The audit, covering the period from July 1, 2021, to July 7, 2023, exposed substantial deficiencies in BOCES’ capital asset management. Officials failed to maintain complete and accurate records, with the purchasing agent unfamiliar with and non-compliant with asset policies. This negligence resulted in the omission of required annual inventories, rendering approximately $31,000 in assets, including tablets, audio equipment, tools, data storage devices, and a gaming console, unaccounted for.
Further scrutiny of 150 assets, with a total historical cost of $149,000, highlighted inaccuracies in the records. Among the discrepancies were 130 assets worth $133,000 lacking current value, salvage value, or replacement cost, 76 assets valued at $88,000 without proper employee identification, and eight assets totaling $24,000 missing serial or identification numbers.
In response to the findings, auditors recommended BOCES adhere to asset policies, conduct annual physical inventories, and improve overall record maintenance. BOCES officials have acknowledged the lapses and committed to corrective action. BOCES, responsible for providing educational and support services to 22 school districts in Cattaraugus, Allegany, Erie, and Wyoming counties, operates under the governance of a nine-member Board of Education.
The District Superintendent, serving as the chief executive officer, oversees day-to-day management along with administrative staff, while the purchasing agent, supervised by the Executive Director of Finance, is tasked with maintaining accurate records of BOCES’ capital assets.
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