Signatories for School Accounts

Introduction
A board of management is a corporate body and exists in perpetuity. Even though the members and officers change, the board retains its legal entity status as a corporate body. Therefore, the board members and officers in place on the 28th of February each year, are the members / officers responsible for signing off on the annual financial accounts.
See below the board members required to sign off on the accounts for the school sectors:

Primary Schools
The annual financial accounts must be signed by the current chairperson and the current treasurer.

Comprehensive Schools and Voluntary Secondary Schools
The annual financial accounts must be signed by the current chairperson and another current member of the board of management. The Principal, as secretary to the board, is not a member of the board of management and therefore cannot sign off the annual financial accounts.

Community Schools
The annual financial accounts must be signed by the current chairperson and a current member of the board of management.

Amalgamations & School Closure
When the timeline for the amalgamation is agreed, the patrons agree on a closing date for each of the amalgamating schools. This also involves a decision on the dissolution date for the boards of management. While the school might officially close on 31st August, the board of management must ensure that the annual accounts are prepared, signed off by the board and submitted to the patron and FSSU. This should be done as soon as possible but no later than the 28th of February, which is the deadline for submission to FSSU. Each board of management must ensure that the compliance and regulatory requirements of the board are met.

Note: Please note that the annual accounts must be signed either with a physical signature or a digital signature. Typed signatures are accepted only in exceptional circumstances.