This story was corrected on Nov. 19. An explanation of the correction is at the end of the story.
The Prince George's County NAACP requested an external audit of the county school board's personal spending accounts Nov. 12, stating the review will help improve government transparency.
Currently, county auditors conduct an annual review of board expenses, but June White Dillard, president of the county chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said an external audit paid for by the board would delve deeper.
"The annual audit only includes a review of the paperwork of the internal auditors, and not a complete review of all travel, home office supplies and equipment, cell phones, gifts and other related expenses from original documents of the members of the board," Dillard said at the school board meeting.
Dillard said her reason for seeking the audit is to increase government transparency.
Responding from the rostrum, board Vice Chairman Ron Watson (At-large) said he hoped an audit "request was made for all elected officials in the county."
Dillard could not be reached for comment Friday about whether other audits were being requested.
According to the school system's expenditure reports, no board member spent more than their yearly $7,000 budget for fiscal 2009, which ended June 30. The student board member is allotted $2,000 annually.
Some members spent as little as $3,600, while others nearly depleted their budget on office supplies, hotel accommodations, flights, conferences and mileage reimbursement, according to the internal audit.
Last fiscal year's budget totals for the board were as follows: Chairwoman Verjeana Jacobs (At-large), $6,905.58; Watson, $7,000; Donna Hathaway Beck (At-large), $4,954.07; Amber Waller (At-large), $6,573.76; Rosalind Johnson (Dist. 1), $6,830.12; Heather Iliff (Dist. 2), $3,601.45; Pat Fletcher (Dist.3), $6,925.00; Linda Thomas (Dist. 4), $4,947.65; R. Owen Johnson (Dist. 5), $5,344.92; and student board member Edward Burroughs: $1,999.20.
County schools spokeswoman Lynn McCawley said budgets are "a bit easier to manage than they were in the past," as the school system is using a computerized budget system.
Board members also receive credit cards from the school system, but McCawley said Monday she was not sure what their limit is. If board members overspend using their credit cards, they must pay back the school system, and funds cannot be transferred between board members, she added.
School system Chief Financial Officer Matthew Stanski said the request would be addressed at the November budget meeting, at which time feasibility and cost of an external audit would be reviewed.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the NAACP's request of an audit was on Oct. 12; it was on Nov. 12.