Audit Lists Huge Mark Ups Paid By Skiatook Public Schools

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

SKIATOOK, OK -- What's the latest on an Oklahoma businessman accused of calling a Green Country school district his "cash cow?"

A state audit reveals Skiatook Public Schools threw away more than half-million dollars by paying exorbitant mark-ups for supplies.

Read the audit report.

One man is in charge of not one, but two businesses that milked Skiatook Schools' budget.

"To be called a 'cash cow;' that's not good," said Skiatook parent Tiffany Brummett.

But that's exactly what the state audit says a Skiatook Schools' vendor dubbed the district. The audit is quoting Rick Enos of E & E Sales, an Oklahoma City business with a sign outside that says E & E Taxes.

State auditors say Skiatook Schools used E & E Sales as a middle man, leading the district to pay huge price mark-ups for equipment and services.

"The mops, the mops - that's excessive!" Brummett said.

The audit reports that in July of 2008, the school paid E & E Sales $539.85 to order three cases of 12 mop heads, for a total of 36. But auditors say delivery tickets show just three mop heads - not three cases - were delivered.

So Skiatook ended up paying almost $180 for each mop when they retail about five bucks.

"I love a good, clean school but that's excessive," said Tiffany Brummett, a Skiatook parent.

2/23/2010 Related Story: State Auditor: Skiatook School Case Is Example Of Waste, Fraud and Abuse

The audit also reports the school district contracted with Austin Security, a company also owned by Rick Enos that shares a headquarters with his other businesses.

State auditors report Skiatook paid Austin Security to buy and install 20 security systems at $3,600 dollars a pop. They estimate that the systems retail for about $1,300.

On top of that, auditors say none of them are being used, and they're sitting in storage. The kicker? Auditors say Austin Security is not even licensed to install security systems.

Investigators notified the district of that fact, and Austin Security did pay back $14,000.

"I think we need answers as taxpayers, as parents, as teachers" Brummett said. "There needs to be some sort of explanation for something like that happening."

The question remains why Skiatook Schools was using E & E Sales and Austin Security in the first place.

The auditor's office found out E & E Sales did work for Piedmont Schools, and Skiatook Superintendent Gary Johnson is a former Piedmont superintendent.

The News On 6 left a message for Rick Enos to get his side of the story, but he did not respond. 

A Skiatook school board member says they're planning a special meeting to discuss the audit.