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For the seventh year in a row, Battle Ground Public Schools received a clean financial audit from the Washington State Auditor’s Office, according to a release from the district.
The release said the district undergoes a financial audit every year due to the size of its enrollment and annual budget. The audit examined areas of accountability, financial statements and federal grant compliance for the district’s fiscal year from Sept. 1, 2019 to Aug. 31, 2020.
The release said auditors reviewed BGPS’ payroll, purchases and public works as well as accounts payable, use of restricted funds, tracking of theft-sensitive assets and more.
The most recent report concluded that the district provided adequate controls over the safeguarding of public resources and the district complied with laws and regulations.
“It takes a team effort to ensure that we are using public funds responsibly,” BGPS Superintendent Mark Ross said in a news release. “As always, our leadership team is committed to being efficient and transparent with public funds, and seven years of clean audits assures the public that we're responsible with the funds we receive."
“I’d like to thank the hard working, dedicated staff working in our business office and Human Resources departments,” BGPS Deputy Superintendent Denny Waters said. “It takes tremendous teamwork and transparency to get through the audit process, and I am proud of district staff for how they represent Battle Ground Public Schools and safeguard public funding.”
The State Auditor’s Office audits school districts annually as a part of its efforts to track public money and provide accountability for district operations. In a typical year, BGPS employees work side-by-side with state auditors for about four weeks to produce financial statements and budget data. However, this year, all the work was done remotely, which slowed the process down. The process was finally completed at the end of February.
In addition to the annual state audit, BGPS also has a formal audit committee that reviews district expenditures on a monthly basis. District leadership proposed this additional layer of fiscal oversight several years ago, the release stated.
The committee meets monthly to go over district expenditures including vendor invoices, payroll and timesheets, the release stated. Committee members discuss the expenditures, ask questions, and pull supporting documentation, with the committee reporting its findings to the board at regular meetings.
"A record of accountability is critical to demonstrating our commitment to running an efficient district,” BGPS Chief Financial Officer Meagan Hayden said. "In addition to the annual audit, our board and superintendent have taken initiative and decided that conducting a monthly review of the district's expenditures would be an effective way to maintain financial accountability."
The final reports for Battle Ground's 2019-20 audits are available on the State Auditor’s Office website at sao.wa.gov/?s=Battle+Ground+Public+Schools.
