East Meadow Overpaid $1.1 Million In Overtime: Audit

EAST MEADOW, NY — An audit by the New York State Comptroller's office found that the East Meadow School District did not properly monitor its overtime process, and paid more than $1.1 million in unbudgeted overtime costs to the Facilities and Operations Department.

From July 2018 to June 2022, the facilities department had an overtime budget of $1.4 million, but accrued overtime costs of $2.5 million, the audit found. During the audit period of July 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2021, the facilities department made up 97 percent of the district's overtime costs.

In addition, the audit found that the district did not have proper controls over the department's overtime. The majority of the overtime that was paid was only approved after the fact, or not approved at all, the audit found.

The audit says that district officials did not properly monitor the overtime budget. For four years in a row, overtime costs exceeded what was budgeted for the department.

"Because district officials did not adequately monitor overtime, they cannot be certain that the district needed to incur the significant overtime costs," the audit reads.

The audit recommends that the Board of Education adopt a policy with clear guidelines for overtime work, and try to ensure that overtime is pre-approved. It also recommends that the district set realistic overtime budgets going forward.