The New York State Comptroller’s report outlining the professional deficiencies of the auditing firm of Miller, Lilly & Pearce of East Setauket in the Roslyn School District is astounding. The findings indicate gross negligence, anemic oversight and a total lack of internal safeguards that ultimately allowed a few criminals to rob the hard earned money of taxpayers and deny young people the right to a quality education. It’s mind boggling.

The report, outlined in a story in this week’s paper, heaps a whole lot of additional skepticism upon an already beleaguered profession in whom the public had maintained some modicum of trust. It showed that even external audits by reputable firms cannot always be trusted.

What is particularly disconcerting is that many other school districts in our readership area use the firm for their audits, and that from all accounts the firm has performed well. The only difference is that in those districts officials are honorable and internal standards help to provide a system of checks and balances that are essential not only in our school districts but at every level of government where the public’s money and its trust must be protected.

New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi and his office are to be commended for presenting a brutally honest report that includes not only information as to where the system broke down but also presents recommendations. The information contained in this extensive report should be reviewed by every public official and tested against its accounting system to begin the process of regaining the public’s confidence.