[NSD] – Accounting and business functions of public agencies are always under the microscope and stories about misuse of public funds or questionable business practices occur all too often. Public agency spending has been subject to criticism and charter schools most often fail because of sloppy finances and weak fiscal management, making stewardship of the public’s dollars more important than ever. A flawless annual audit is a point of pride for the business department in the Newhall School District.

Annual audits of the funds that are entrusted to a school district are one way the public can be assured of the proper use and tracking of the taxpayer dollars. Newhall School District’s annual examination is designed to provide our citizens, taxpayers, students, and investors and creditors with a general overview of the District’s finances and to show the District’s accountability for the money it receives.

For the last ten years the Newhall School District has received flawless audits from external auditing firms.

While the fiscal year ends on June 30, school districts close their books sometime in August and an external auditing team examines them in the fall. The results are then presented to the Governing Board of the district. The Annual Audit for the Newhall School District will be presented for board review on Tuesday, December 9th. The audit examines 2013-2014 revenue and budgeting and the long term debts and obligations of the District. This year the audit included revenue and expenditures from Measure E, the district’s $60 million bond authorization approved by the voters in November 2011.

Reviewing all assets and liabilities, budgeting and fund management, the audit is designed to assess the financial health of the district. The CPA firm of Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co. found no difficulties in performing the audit or disagreements with management. There were no “Audit Findings” or “Questioned Costs” in the audit report. There were no exceptions or adjustments.

“Our business department takes great pride in the way we track payroll, attendance, and every dollar from state, federal, and local sources,” said Ronna Wolcott, Assistant Superintendent of Business for the 6,800 student district. “The audit confirms the high quality of accounting practices for the financial business of the district.”

“The Board is very involved in monitoring the district’s budget, fiscal health and priorities,” stated Brian Walters, President of the school board. “We believe it’s important to verify the work done by our staff and the auditors’ annual report, once again, shows that our trust in NSD’s Business Department is warranted.”