By Rebecca Burk / L’Observateur / March 16, 1998

LUTCHER – For 10 to 12 years now records that were supposed to keep track of money raised by the Lutcher High School Band Booster Club have been very confused, according to Superintendent John Boughton.

So confused, in fact, the school system has asked state Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle to investigate the matter.

“We have been requested by the internal auditors to come in and provide some assistance to the school board,” Kyle said. He would not disclose anymore information except to say the school system’s internal auditor was eager for him to begin an investigation.

“The request was initially made about two weeks ago and made again this past week,” Kyle added.

Clint Reulet, the school system’s internal auditor, asked the school system’s usual external auditor, Postlewaite and Netterville, to audit the booster club records. But that firm refused because the “records were insuch a mess,” Boughton said.

So the request was taken to Kyle.

“Right now I am assessing it and prioritizing it,” the state official said.

The records Kyle may soon audit are those that kept track of money spent and earned in the operation of the concession stand at Lutcher High’s football games, Boughton said. That fund-raiser is how the band got mostof it’s money to purchase new music, instruments and uniforms.

Boughton said when a new band director took over recently they discovered a breakdown in the inventory then noticed discrepancies in the records.

But Boughton said he doesn’t know if funds are missing from the account.

“There were some discrepancies in the way the records have been kept in the band fund,” Boughton said. “I can’t say that there are funds missing -they just kept bad records.”Boughton assured the discrepancies had nothing to do with the band directors, adding that over the approximated 12 years in which the records got messed up there were two or three different band directors at Lutcher High.

Lutcher High’s band recently had to borrow money from the school board to purchase new uniforms because there was not enough in the strapped-for- cash band booster budget.

One board member commented on the problem at a recent school board meeting.

“Doesn’t it seem sad that we have enough money to buy a new tractor,” Lloyd LeBlanc said, “but we can’t buy new uniforms for our band members?”

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