The Federal Funds Rate is the interest rate at which banks and other depository institutions lend money to each other, usually on an overnight basis. It is an excellent benchmark for short-term interest rates and investors use it to determine how local government...
Tips to Prevent Wire and ACH Frauds
Utility Bill Auditing
Guest Article: Securing Tomorrow’s Future: The Importance of Intelligence Powered Cybersecurity in K-12 Schools
Artificial Intelligence Acceptable Use Policy
GASB Statement 101 – Compensated Absences
NYSLRS Enhanced Reporting – Gold Certification
Guest Article: Nonprofit Organization that Supports Schools: MusicBreeds: Rhythm Reach!
Using music as the driver, this local nonprofit organization empowers young people to build successful careers with a program centered on leadership, finance, entrepreneurship, and employment training. MusicBreeds services middle school and high school students through their music focused after-school program, summer camp, and online learning center.
Zero-emission School Bus Mandate – Update
Artificial Intelligence – Use with Caution
s Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has been thrust into the public consciousness, many parents have become increasingly worried about its potentially negative effects on their children. In response to this, many school districts have been creating policies to ensure that teachers and students use AI responsibly. With input from key stakeholders such as administrators, teachers, students, IT departments, and the community an AI use policy should seek to enable teachers to supplement their students’ learning rather than supplant it. Any sensible AI policy should also seek to emphasis AI with humans in the loop.
Guest Article: Video-conferencing: Protecting against eavesdroppers using Zerify Defender
Hackers are getting more creative in finding areas where data can be exploited. Many video-conferencing platforms have provided an easy solution for doing business, but they can open private conversations to eavesdroppers and even with gated private rooms, they can be breached.
GASB 96 – The What, When, Why and How
May 3, 2023
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued on June 25, 2020, Statement No. 96, “Subscription-Based Information Technology Arrangements (SBITA).” On June 15, 2022, the guidance became effective which means current accounting has to be in line with GASB...
K12 Data Protection Q&A Panel – Powerhouse Team
Dec 2, 2022
Join our Powerhouse Team for a Time-Critical Panel Discussion followed by a Question-and-Answer Session New York State Education Law §2-d took effect in 2020 and applies to school districts, charter schools, universal pre-K providers and BOCES. It also applies to...
Segregation of Duties
Oct 25, 2022
Segregation of duties is a commonly used and widely accepted internal control practice. It is the process of taking shared responsibilities of a key process and dispersing the critical functions of that process to more than one person or department. Implemented...
Mandatory Federal Premium Reporting Requirement
Oct 24, 2022
What is the Federal premium reporting requirement? The Consolidated Appropriations Act (2021) was passed by Congress on December 21, 2020 and signed into law on December 27, 2020. It is responsible for the implementation of a new annual reporting requirement that...
Guest Article: E-Rate Funding Explained
Oct 24, 2022
Before the pandemic, many schools were in the process of implementing a 1:1 device for students and staff. With the onset of remote learning, that timeline was hastened. Schools not only have to consider the cost of the devices, but the ability to use the devices...
Guest Article: Finance Manager nVision Features
Oct 24, 2022
As many districts we work with use Finance Manager’s nVision program as their financial application system, we reached out to our contacts there to provide some of the features that can help with new school year and year-end processes. Below are some highlights they...
Guest Article: 2022-2023 Cyber Insurance Outlook
Oct 24, 2022
Cyber coverage in the public school arena is challenging. In a recent demographic study of K-12 public school districts, school districts with larger enrollments and lower economic metrics are more likely to see a cyber event than those with a smaller enrollment and...
Guest Article: Conferences, Luncheons, and Gifts, Oh my!
Oct 24, 2022
In our roles as either internal or claims auditors for school districts on Long Island, we are often asked about whether certain purchases can be considered a gift of public funds. While we often recite the regulations per the School Law book when providing an answer,...