Tyler Fulton honored as LCS School Employee of the Year
Tyler Fulton, Robert Elementary’s computer technician, is the 2025-26 School Related Employee of the Year for Leon County Schools.
- The Leon County School Board received a positive financial audit from the accounting firm Purvis Gray.
- Auditors presented four minor findings, including a repeat issue with bank reconciliations due to a software problem.
- Superintendent Rocky Hanna has put a vacant internal auditor position on hold amid budget cuts.
The Leon County School Board received high marks for its financial management in a recent independent audit conducted by Florida-based accounting firm Purvis Gray.
There were, however, some flags raised with financial accounting practices at Lively Technical College and understaffing in the district’s internal auditing department. But none of those findings were considered major.
The school board annually hires the firm to review financial and internal accounts. In addition, every three years, the board’s performance is vetted by the Florida Auditor General.
“We’ve had really, really good audits over the last several years and I think that’s a tribute to our CFO Kathy Sanders and our finance team, along with all of our school bookkeepers to ensure that we are accounting for taxpayer dollars,” Superintendent Rocky Hanna said.
On March 11, the auditors presented their findings for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. The report included four findings; none were classified as major.
The financial report included a repeat finding related to bank reconciliations, which officials attributed to a technical issue with the district’s software system. The audit revealed that a lack of consistent communication between the district’s FOCUS system and the Skyward accounting system could lead to financial misstatements. The external auditor had to collect and analyze data to confirm accuracy in financial line-item statements that weren’t readily available.
Compliance procedures were conducted at 15 school sites for an internal school account review that resulted in three findings including issues related to bank reconciliations.
For instance, auditors recommended strengthening internal controls over financial reporting at Lively Technical College. Another finding addressed the segregation of duties among employees responsible for collecting money at schools a standard internal control meant to reduce the risk of errors or fraud.
“The excellent news is that the district did receive an unmodified opinion which is the highest level of assurance an agency can receive from a CPA firm,” LCS audit committee vice chair Shelby Green said.
Green emphasized the findings were routine and not abnormal. The auditing firm agreed.
“The findings included in this report were routine comments that would be expected given the massive volume of transactions that happen,” Green said. “The district has seen significant improvements to its internal accounts.”
However, the district’s internal accounts office is operating with lean staffing. What was once a team of four has been reduced to two positions: An auditing director and an executive assistant.
Leon County Schools Auditing director Livetra Paul told board members the staff only consists of herself and an executive assistant.
Hanna said he placed the now vacant second internal auditor position on hold as he prepares to make cuts to save expenses at the district’s administrative offices. The internal auditor role historically has high turnover, he added, which is likely due to compensation. Hanna said he does not plan to fill the role anytime soon.
But School board member Darryl Jones, who also sits on the audit committee, said he wants to see the role filled to ensure the team is operating efficiently.
“I just want to make certain that by virtue of this board that we are providing guidance that we want this position filled so that the office can be staffed,” Jones told his colleagues as he presented a motion during the March 24 school board meeting to restore the position.
His colleagues said they needed more information on the role and the costs associated with keeping it. The motion was amended to bring the topic back for a workshop meeting to discuss and passed unanimously.
“If I felt as though we couldn’t put that position on hold and absolutely had to be filled then I would have recommended that we fill it, but I don’t,” Hanna said.
The audit committee is expected to present its next report to the board in August.
Alaijah Cross covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at [email protected].
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