Internal Audit Services

The Richmond City School Board initiated an Internal Audit function in April 1978 to presumably perform Financial, Operational, Compliance, Information Technology, Performance audits and investigate allegations of fraud, waste or abuse. At that time the department reported administratively and functionally to the Finance Director. Since February 1996, to ensure independence, the Internal Audit function has solely reported, Administratively and Functionally, to the Richmond City School Board.

Per conversations with long term employees, it is believed that the Internal Audit department was a well-staffed function within the organization and executed work in general accordance with the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA’s) Standards and Practices. In 2008 and 2013 External Quality Assurance Reviews were performed. Those external assessments indicated that while improvements were needed, audit work was generally performed in conformance with the IIA’s IPPF. In December 2023, an Internal Quality Review Assessment indicated that Internal Audit work did not conform to the IIA’s Standards and Practices

As QAR’s are normally done every five years, it cannot be determined if a QAR was done in 2018 when due. Based on discussion with the current staff, there was no QAR done in 2023. Between the 2013 Quality Assurance Review and late 2022, the department was downsized to one auditor.

In early 2023, the School Board decided to reinvigorate the Internal Audit function and appointed an Internal Auditor Director later that year in the Fall of 2023 to manage and revitalize the function. In early 2024, the Richmond City School Board adopted a new Audit Committee Charter, a new School Board Audit Services Charter and the School Board Audit Services Operations manual was rewritten as well. In early 2024 as well, the department was moved from a paper-based system to being paperless and is able to perform audit engagements at any location within the school district.

As originally intended, the department is currently performing Financial, Operational, Compliance, Information Technology, Performance audits and investigates allegations of fraud, waste or abuse. The department is working on correcting the out of conformance issues noted in the aforementioned 2023 Internal Quality Assessment. An external Quality Assessment is scheduled for late 2025 or early 2026.