School Audit had Issues, Now Corrected Members of the Watonga School Board heard the district’s 2022 audit report, which was not without its problems. Britton, Kuykendall and Miller’s Rick Miller was on the phone with the board, explaining the audit and its findings.
The audit dealt with the figures from the board on June 30, as the district runs on a fiscal year rather than a calendar year.
It showed the district had about $10 million in various funds, less outstanding warrants – essentially checks that had been written but not yet cashed. After subtracting that amount, the balance was $9.17 million. The budget for the year previous showed $13 million budgeted, but $9 million spent, meaning the district stayed well within its budget, Miller said.
The audit showed that the financial management of the district is solid, with a few errors. Because of the large amount of money distributed this year in response to COVID, other districts experienced the same issues, according to Miller.
Those issues included miscoded expenses that should have been directly tied to the funding source and receipt. It is not unlike a miscode on a medical bill sent to insurance. The audit also showed not all voided warrants were voided on the treasurer’s side of the books as well.
“If we make a mistake, Kuykendall and Miller will show us how to fix it. We like that because we want to do things correctly,” said Superintendent Kyle Hilterbran.
The audit also carries a page from the district showing how it remedied the issues discovered and what policy or procedure has been put in place so that the flub does not reoccur.
In other business, the board heard that the school year is clicking along, heading quickly down to the Christmas break.
Elementary school principal Ashley Stewart said at her building, fifth grade basketball has started and the youngsters were heading to a tournament in January while the littlest littles were going to perform a Christmas program first thing Tuesday for their schoolmates.
In all the schools, midyear testing data is being evaluated and deficiencies will be addressed on an individual student basis. Less than 10 percent of the students are out with illnesses that have dogged other area schools.
Friday the teachers will have a professional development day and receive their year end stipends. They will continue analyzing test data to predict scores on state and ACT tests. They will also be building unit tests so that the teaching goals can meet the testing standards. Additionally, the teachers and administration, Hilterbran said, are working on strategies for students experiencing chronic absenteeism and seeking to find solutions.