Grand Jury Calling In State Auditors on School System Finances

The Stephens County grand jury is scheduled to continue its inquiry into the Stephens County school system’s financial situation later this month.

Court officials said that the grand jury has scheduled a meeting with state auditors for October 29.

The grand jury is scheduled to meet with State Auditor Greg Griffin and Education Audit Division Director Claire Arnold.

Those two individuals dealt directly with the school systemm’s Fiscal Year 2013 audit, which was completed back in August and contained numerous findings.

During its current term, the grand jury is conducting a fact-finding inquiry into the financial issues that came to light earlier this year regarding the Stephens County school system.

Those issues included, among others, a deficit in the school system’s fund balance as of June 30, 2013 of more than $1.2 million and numerous accounting deficiencies.

Previously, the grand jury met with the current Stephens County Board of Education and a number of current and former school system administrators as part of its inquiry.

A grand jury is allowed to inquire about anything it wishes to during its term, which lasts for a period of six months.

Typically, any report compiled by a grand jury is released and made public at the end of its term, though it can be released sooner if that is what a grand jury wishes to do.

This current Stephens County grand jury’s term runs through December 31.