Big Quil student shellfish operation must get contract with school district, State Auditor's Office says
By Evan Cael, Peninsula Daily News
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An audit of the school district spanning 2003 to 2006, released just last week, said the district has inadequate internal controls to ensure that associated student body funds are appropriated correctly.
"They need to have a contract that shows who gets what and who benefits in what way," said Mindy Chambers, State Auditor's Office spokeswoman.
Big Quil Enterprises is a Washington State University Jefferson County Extension 4-H business involving about 150 school district students, said Pamela Roberts, 4-H and youth development coordinator with the extension.
It is designed to teach students all aspects of running a business.
Bureaucratic system
"Anytime that you get involved on the front end of change, the bureaucratic system doesn't know what to do with it," Roberts said about the audit findings.
She said an agreement is currently being drafted between Big Quil Enterprises and Quilcene School District and will be signed in the near future.
David Andersen, Quilcene School District superintendent, agreed.
"As a result of this, we're making sure safeguards are in place," Andersen said.
"We weren't really aware that we needed to have a contract agreement. We're just trying to make sure we're still able to collaborate in a positive manner that will do good things for kids and comply with the law."
Big Quil Enterprises leases a five-acre shellfish bed in Quilcene where oysters are harvested and sold.
The bed was previously leased by the school district's Shellfish Club, which had operated the bed for 12 years and was a precursor of sorts to Big Quil Enterprises.
The audit shows that the Shellfish Club raised $6,200, $4,800 and $3,500 in fiscal 2006, 2005 and 2004, respectively.
School district money
The club deposited no money with the school district, which would be required because the Shellfish Club is an associated student body activity, and funds coming from that would need to remain with the school district, according to the audit.
Roberts said the Auditor's Office seemed to confuse Big Quil Enterprises and the Shellfish Club, which is the predominant reason for the findings.
She said the state auditors didn't consult with her when conducting the audit.
"There isn't anything in the audit that, if I had been at the table, I couldn't have answered in less than 30 seconds," Roberts said.
"What was previously managed under the Shellfish Club is managed under Big Quil Enterprises," she said, referring to the reason there was no money deposited with the school district.
She added that school district funds have never gone to Big Quil Enterprises.
Big Quil got its start about five years ago with a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant, which helped to pay Joe and Joy Baisch of Brinnon, who are the coordinators of the business for 4-H.
The Baischs were unavailable for comment.
May expiration
The grant expired last May.
In February, Big Quil Enterprises was one of four winners of The Great Strides Award and a $100,000 grant from Minnesota-based Northwest Area Foundation.
The award goes to organizations which have taken innovative steps to reduce long-term poverty.
"Whenever you try to do something for kids that is innovative, often times it's out of the box and it takes a little while for the paperwork to catch up with it," said Katherine Baril, WSU Jefferson County Extension director.
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Reporter Evan Cael can be reached at 360-385-2335 or evan.cael@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: October 15. 2007 9:00PM