Audit Reveals $13,000 Missing from Birmingham Elementary School Bank Account

A Birmingham City Schools bookkeeper has resigned following an investigation that revealed over $13,000 was missing from a local elementary school’s bank account.

An audit, released by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts on June 28, uncovered discrepancies noticed by school board members in March 2023. The discrepancies arose when comparing teacher receipts to the amounts deposited into Huffman Academy’s bank account.

The audit revealed that between 2017 and 2023, a total of $13,679 was collected but never deposited.

The bookkeeper, whose name was not disclosed in the audit, was placed on administrative leave in July 2023 and subsequently resigned in December 2023.

Birmingham City Schools officials did not respond to requests for comment. The audit states that the board has filed a police report and is seeking legal action to recover the lost funds.

It is unclear if a criminal complaint has been filed or if any funds have been recovered since the audit's release.

The audit also highlighted ongoing issues with overspending and lax accounting practices at several other local schools. Staff at five tested schools failed to submit receipts and deposits on time, increasing the risk of loss or theft.

Superintendent Mark Sullivan responded to the auditors, noting that inconsistencies arose because schools were not following the same accounting manual.

“Currently, our district is decentralized, which means the central office has minimal oversight regarding what happens at the school; therefore, issues arise without our knowledge,” he wrote.

The district is now undergoing training to establish better financial procedures, fundraising to balance school budgets, and implementing a new routing system to ensure funds are available before making purchases.