REPORT DIGEST



ILLINOIS SUMMER SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS



FINANCIAL AND COMPLIANCE AUDIT
For the Two Years Ended:
June 30, 1997



Summary of Findings:

Total this audit 4
Total last audit 4
Repeated from last audit 3





Release Date:
April 8, 1998






State of Illinois
Office of the Auditor General

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND
AUDITOR GENERAL

Iles Park Plaza
740 E. Ash Street
Springfield, IL 62703
(217) 782-6046









SYNOPSIS

  • The Illinois Summer School for the Arts (ISSA) admitted ineligible students to the summer school.
  • The ISSA processed vouchers for counselors, faculty, guest artists, and student assistants prior to the performance of services.
  • The ISSA did not file its rules and regulations with the Secretary of State's Office.
  • The ISSA has suffered from a significant decrease in funding that has raised substantial doubt about its ability to continue operating.







{Expenditures and Activity Measures are summarized on the reverse page.}


ILLINOIS SUMMER SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
For The Two Years Ended June 30, 1997





FINANCIAL ACTIVITY

FY 1997

FY 1996

FY 1995

  • Total Cash Receipts

State Grant
% of Total Cash Receipts

Tuition / Application Fee
% of Total Cash Receipts

Donations
% of Total Cash Receipts

Private Grants
% of Total Cash Receipts

Miscellaneous
% of Total Cash Receipts

  • Total Cash Disbursement

 

 

 

$79,061

$60,000
75.9%

$17,125
21.7%

$100
.1%

$1,000
1.3%

$836
1.0%

$44,062

$6,955

$0
0.0%

$4,750
68.3%

$2,125
30.6%

$0
0.0%

$80
1.1%

$84,024

$111,570

$75,000
67.2%

$19,550
17.5%

$14,950
13.4%

$1,000
.9%

$1,070
1.0%

$119,500

SELECTED ACTIVITY MEASURES

FY 1997

FY 1996

FY 1995

  • Total Individuals Benefiting from the Project
  • Total Students in Attendance

 

 

 

0

0

100

69

100

77

AGENCY DIRECTOR(S)
During Audit Period: Scott Walters (resigned November 1995); Laurie Merriman (appointed January 1997)
Currently: Louis Tiemann, Chairman of the Board

 







The ISSA admitted ineligible students in an effort to increase student enrollment














The ISSA processed 24 vouchers, totaling $21,875, between 25 and 114 days prior to the performance of services









The ISSA failed to file its rules with the Secretary of State's Office

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

NONCOMPLIANCE WITH THE ILLINOIS SUMMER SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS ACT

The Illinois Summer School for the Arts (ISSA) did not comply with the Illinois Summer School for the Arts Act (Act) (105 ILCS 310/3) when admitting students to the Summer School. The Act requires the ISSA to admit only those students who have completed the 9th , 10th , or 11th grades, and who reside in the State of Illinois. The ISSA inappropriately admitted 5 eighth grade students and 3 high school graduates to attend the July 1997 Summer School. Additionally, one of the ineligible students was not an Illinois resident. (Finding 1, page 10)

ISSA officials defended the decision to admit the eighth grade students, citing ambiguities in the Act as substantiation for their actions. Despite the ambiguities, the ISSA responded it will not, in the future, knowingly admit students who have not completed the ninth grade, students who have completed the twelfth grade, and students who reside outside the State of Illinois.

ADVANCED PROCESSING OF VOUCHERS

The ISSA processed 24 vouchers for counselors, faculty, guest artists, and student assistants up to 114 days prior to the performance of services. Twenty-three of the checks were retained by the ISSA until services had been performed. One check was mistakenly mailed to the payee 114 days prior to the performance of services. (Finding 2, page 11)

The ISSA accepted our recommendation to ensure vouchers not be processed prior to the performance of services.

 

FAILURE TO FILE RULES

The ISSA did not file its rules and regulations with the Secretary of State's Office. The Illinois Administrative Procedures Act requires each agency to adopt rules and file them with the Secretary of State's Office (5 ILCS 100/5-10). Agency rules and regulations are not valid or effective against any person or party until the rules and regulations have been made available for public inspection and filed.

The ISSA Board adopted rules and regulations regarding the operation of the summer school, including the assessment of tuition fees, on February 17, 1994, but did not file them with the Secretary of State's Office. ISSA personnel believe such filing is not necessary. Rules with respect to operation of the School were no longer considered in effect by the ISSA Board when it retained Illinois State University to run the School during 1997. Should the ISSA resume running the School, it would propose to submit its rules to the Secretary of State's Office. (Finding 3, page 12)

Regardless of who administers the Summer School, the ISSA is responsible for developing rules and regulations and filing them with the Secretary of State's Office. The Summer School for the Arts has the responsibility to comply with applicable statutory requirements, whether the Summer School is administered by employees of the Illinois Summer School for the Arts or a contractor contracted by the School.

OTHER FINDINGS

The remaining finding was less significant and, according to the ISSA, is being given appropriate attention. We will review progress toward implementing our recommendations in our next audit.

Responses to the recommendations were provided by the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Louis Tiemann.

SUBSEQUENT EVENT

On September 8, 1997 the ISSA was notified that it will not receive repeat funding from the Illinois Board of Higher Education for the July 1998 summer school. The ISSA does not have any alternate plans for funding.

AUDITOR'S OPINION

We have stated the financial statements of the Illinois Summer School for the Arts Grant Fund as of and for the years ended June 30, 1997 and 1996 are fairly presented. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of the uncertainty of the ISSA's ability to continue as a going concern.

_____________________________________
WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

WGH:GSS:pp

AUDITORS ASSIGNED

This audit was performed by the Auditor General's staff.