By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
The Burlington Area School District is looking into what it is calling an “irregularity” involving its food service fund, with the help of the City of Burlington police department.
On Friday, BASD Superintendent Peter Smet sent out a letter to parents of students within the district. The letter detailed an incident in late December that was discovered through the district’s system of “financial checks and balances.”
It involved a deposit into the food service fund by an ARAMARK employee – the company that handles the district’s breakfast and lunch programs. The letter went on to say the issue was reported to both the City of Burlington police department and also ARAMARK, and in looking into the situation, found further issues with December deposits.
“The ARAMARK employee is no longer assigned to Burlington Area School District until the investigation is completed,” Smet said in the letter.
As a result of the program, Smet said a complete audit of the food service fund is being conducted by the district, the police and ARAMARK. Smet went on to add that ARAMARK reassured the district that it will compensate them for any losses.
“The deposits in question are student lunch purchases and do not involve any property tax or state aid funds,” Smet made clear in the letter. “The status of checks written to the Burlington Area School District for food service and cash deposits to individual student accounts are being reviewed.”
Credit card deposits were not apparently impacted by the situation.
Smet finished the letter by saying ARAMARK had served the district since 1999 without any incidents and is “cooperating fully” with the investigation.
“No further information will be provided at this time until the investigation has been completed so that the Burlington Police Department, Burlington Area School District and ARAMARK investigation is not compromised.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding with this matter and know we are working as fast as we can to resolve this matter.”
Smet said on Tuesday that the investigation was ongoing, but didn’t have a timeline for its conclusion.
He confirmed that a different ARAMARK employee had been assigned to the district for the rest of the investigation.
As for the amount of money and the purpose behind the problem, all Smet would say is that it was being investigated.
“It does not appear to be a mistake at this time,” he added.
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