115C-436. Duties of school finance officer.

(a) The school finance officer shall be responsible to the superintendent for:

(1) Keeping the accounts of the local school administrative unit in accordance with generally accepted principles of governmental accounting, the rules and regulations of the State Board of Education, and the rules and regulations of the Local Government Commission.

(2) Giving the preaudit certificate required by G.S. 115C-441.

(3) Signing and issuing all checks, drafts, and State warrants by the local school administrative unit, investing idle cash, and receiving and depositing all moneys accruing to the local school administrative unit.

(4) Preparing and filing a statement of the financial condition of the local school administrative unit as often as requested by the superintendent, and when requested in writing, with copy to the superintendent, by the board of education or the board of county commissioners.

(5) Performing such other duties as may be assigned to him by law, by the superintendent, or by rules and regulations of the State Board of Education and the Local Government Commission.

All references in other portions of the General Statutes or local acts to school treasurers, county treasurers, or other officials performing any of the duties conferred by this section on the school finance officer shall be deemed to refer to the school finance officer.

(b) The State Board of Education has authority to issue rules and regulations having the force of law governing procedures for the disbursement of money allocated to the local school administrative unit by or through the State. The Local Government Commission has authority to issue rules and regulations having the force of law governing procedures for the disbursement of all other moneys allocated or accruing to the local school administrative unit. The State Board of Education and the Local Government Commission may inquire into and investigate the internal control procedures of a local school administrative unit with respect to moneys under their respective jurisdictions and may require any modifications in internal control procedures which may be necessary or desirable to prevent embezzlements or mishandling of public moneys.

(c) Upon receipt of a report from the North Carolina Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, generated pursuant to G.S. 135-8(f)(2)f., containing a list of employees for whom the local board of education made a contribution to the North Carolina Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System that is likely to require an additional employer contribution should the employee elect to retire in the following 12 months, the school financial officer shall transmit a copy of the report to the local board of education. The school financial officer shall also notify the board of county commissioners of the county in which the local administrative unit is located that the report was received and the number of employees listed in the report.