Finding for recovery, mostly repaid under audit, issued against employees of Wellsville Local Schools in Columbiana County

A finding for recovery of $21,734 was issued recently against employees of Wellsville Local Schools after the district allegedly failed to withhold and remit pension contributions and paid credit card late fees and interest, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced.

The total included $17,717 payable to the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS) and $3,102 payable to the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio (SERS), much of which was repaid under audit, though $3,681 remains outstanding ($1,873 to SERS and $1,808 to STRS).

The finding for recovery was against 67 employees, with former Treasurer Nancy Francis and her bonding company jointly and severally liable for the total.

The issue was one of several included in an audit of the Columbiana County school district’s financial activities from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021. A copy of the full report is available online (ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx).

A separate finding for recovery of $915, repaid under audit, was issued against Francis and her bonding company for credit card finance charges and late fees, with auditors noting, “the repeated failure to properly remit credit card payments is considered negligent.”