December 16, 2009
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News: SF Schools Set Guidelines on CC Use
School districts across the nation have been clamping down on district credit card use after discovering potential misuse of the card. San Francisco's School Superintendent has joined the forces in view of a recent investigation into the board's president, Kim-Shree Maufas' personal use of the district's credit card. The investigation was conducted by The Chronicle in October which revealed that Maufas used the district's cards for personal use and gave excessive tips. Over a 16 month period, Maufas charged over $4,000 on personal items and her tipping practices for cabs and dining averaged over 27 percent. Maufas has paid back the personal credit card charges in four separate payments.
Maufas often failed to release the names of the individuals for whom she purchased dinners. She defended her actions saying individuals should have the right to meet with her in confidence. The investigation led to the school district implementing new guidelines covering the use of the district's credit cards which prohibits personal spending and limits gratuities to 15 percent. Furthermore, employees who have access to district credit cards will now be required to provide a receipt and documentation on the purpose of the transaction along with the name and title of the individual related to the expense.
All school district credit cards will be reviewed by the Chief Financial Officer who will bring any questionable expenses to the attention of the Deputy Superintendent of Policy and Operations or the Superintendent. If the employee fails to comply with the card spending policy, the Superintendent now has the authority to suspend or revoke card privileges. Board members were given the cards two years to assist members with out-of-pocket expenses. The new policy is expected to clear up any misunderstandings on card spending practices. San Francisco is one of several school districts who have addressed policy covering personal use and other spending guidelines in response to a number of reported cases of card abuse in public agencies.