[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,75,87,99],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6190372,"mediaKeyId","5050335-ebcdc27ca5ae249014eae244a59a3633","parentId",5050335,"title","External audit finds material weaknesses in NPS financial reporting and reconciliations; issues attributed to turnover","audioSeconds",199,"startMs",6984045,"endMs",7183880,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5050335-ebcdc27ca5ae249014eae244a59a3633&start=6984&end=7183","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5050335-ebcdc27ca5ae249014eae244a59a3633/thumbnail_6984045.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6190372/Virginia/External-audit-finds-material-weaknesses-in-NPS-financial-reporting-and-reconciliations-issues-attributed-to-turnover","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190372-dc8e8708863083ae6804cbb195065ef1/orig.mp4?Expires=1769696840&Signature=LaWK0MnFixkje6EtzkxtAP-A9OIzJZzAA6GvmSuHUfBJFQdS0F1Qwe4ZS7K83d8zCq4~GADbiOoCzNNMznoZX07zJN7kmVQbDAB2-Q1CL9hb5svnNcSmNDYlqzIx3iDDGhS36MJsOQpoiG4avY7tl~-0Lcvw-BkaRhe5VwwuYesLR9oartdFdvP2LiPf7fMuZy~uq48RoymeXZLq~79wsoizNyVs4nyMT8YLWz0r373UN0UWzd~F-ReHW0OZxNxrNlnipEfm5kHkjUlcr2GW3YI7IX8zZfWEbW6U3uXpPqc9QnF9MIiXSfNtGt4gaknmSFk9vXwO0ieCLpov30hwZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norfolk City Public School","date","2025-06-23T15:00:11Z","article","CliftonLarsonAllen presented the Norfolk Public Schools fiscal‑year 2024 audit results to the board on June 18, issuing an unmodified (clean) audit opinion but reporting three material weaknesses in internal control.

Sherry Amos, the lead auditor, told trustees the firm issued a clean opinion that the financial statements were not materially misstated. She noted, however, that auditors identified one material corrected misstatement (related to revenue recognized for a grant that had no eligible expenditures in FY24 and therefore should have been recorded as unearned revenue) and a restatement tied to capital‑asset accounting.

“The financial statements for fiscal year 2024 are prepared by management… I am pleased to indicate that we issued an unmodified audit opinion this year, which is a clean audit opinion,” Amos said. She explained auditors tested actuarial estimates for post‑employment benefits and incurred but not reported insurance claims and had no issues with those calculations.

Auditors reported three material‑weakness findings: (1) capital assets accounting problems that caused a restatement (approximately $12.4 million related to prior‑year capital projects improperly excluded from the school system’s capital asset rolls); (2) material weaknesses in financial reporting tied to delayed and inconsistent preparation and review of the draft financial statements; and (3) untimely reconciliations of bank and general‑ledger accounts (for example, June 2024 bank reconciliations were not provided until January 2025). Amos attributed many of the operational control lapses to “significant turnover in the finance department,” which also delayed issuance of the audit until March 11, 2025 (the city and typical timeline aim for December reporting).

Auditors recommended improved tracking of capital projects and funding sources, policies and procedures to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting, and consistent monthly reconciliations. The auditors also recommended that the school system comply with the Commonwealth’s procedures for confirming bank balances with the state treasurer; the division did not complete that confirmation process for FY24.

Board members on the audit committee asked for follow‑up on corrective action plans. Amos said corrective measures and management oversight are the responsibility of the district and the board, and CliftonLarsonAllen will review implementation progress in the next audit cycle.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Business Meeting: 6-18-25","oneSentenceSummary","CliftonLarsonAllen reported a clean (unmodified) opinion on Norfolk Public Schools' FY24 financial statements but identified three material‑weakness findings related to capital assets accounting, financial reporting controls and account reconciliations, citing staffing turnover and delayed close procedures.","taxTitle","NORFOLK CITY PBLC SCHS, School Districts, Virginia","taxId",14513,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":76,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":77,"_40":78,"_42":79,"_44":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6190376,"Interim superintendent named as public comment erupts over superintendent termination",7491,2919214,10411000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5050335-ebcdc27ca5ae249014eae244a59a3633&start=2919&end=10411","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5050335-ebcdc27ca5ae249014eae244a59a3633/thumbnail_2919214.jpg","/articles/6190376/Virginia/Interim-superintendent-named-as-public-comment-erupts-over-superintendent-termination","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190376-02f8a27b847d5bd2bfd49d7a40dd548d/orig.mp4?Expires=1769696840&Signature=aZZ1CfDziRQMQBHIgPwFSuBOM41uczhHyj9LDq6yfAoOC7W8z~OB3SH3Qgg3DA6RaULL3OdF3drJDk0FKZxh-GcDmgBaCSqJxxzx9tpMfK~4-63-9ZOdOM55HEQLXwIuBVH0o2Bt0OHiTjurMu~DXVS9yFrV9pSsMX1h5neO8QokMtkt2y7PJDQ51VjtA~wbLl2XhCyoW6Zbhkr8nvDd1xCNaXSzqowhtRL2H-yswk3J67CrpBYvjU1aV42JrYGgQLzy58RkmibISkY8W~pcMvhNjE6xIvdnLkqwWLINxiQspQl0iZTPoTyjKeCE5mslTpR79K8P-GwtAGZcw~c-tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Norfolk school board approved a contract for interim superintendent Dr. James M. Pohl on June 18, after a session that included more than a dozen public commenters who criticized the board majority’s recent decision to remove Dr. Sharon Birdsong from the superintendent post.

The board approved the interim contract by roll call. The clerk recorded votes as: Bassin — Aye; Buffalo — Aye; Inge — Aye; Martin — Aye; Lawson — Aye; Thomas — No; Takalajero — Aye. The vote followed public comment in which speakers urged transparency, accountability and community involvement in governance and expressed concerns about the process used to end Dr. Birdsong’s tenure.

Public speakers — including Liz Albert, Cathy O’Hara, Amanda Brockman, Charlotte Smith Worley and others — said the community had been deprived of adequate opportunity to comment on a personnel action and that the termination damaged trust in the board. “The four members who voted to terminate Dr. Birdsong without cause need to be held accountable,” Liz Albert said during public comment. Several speakers described the board’s process as “covert” and “retaliatory.”

Other public commentators urged broader community investment in early‑literacy efforts, expanded family supports and faith‑based and community volunteer programs that partner with schools. Community groups including the Norfolk Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta and the Community Classroom Collaborative described local programs providing scholarships, parent engagement and mentoring and urged continued partnership with the district.

Before the public comment period, the board met in closed session under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for personnel and legal matters. The announced statutory basis for the closed session included subsection 2.2‑3711(A)(1), (A)(2) and (A)(7)–(8) of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, as recited in the motion recorded in the minutes.

Board members did not debate the substance of Dr. Birdsong’s employment actions during the public comment period; after public comment and other business, the board voted to approve the interim superintendent contract for Dr. Pohl.","After lengthy public comment sharply criticizing the board’s recent termination of Dr. Sharon Birdsong, the Norfolk school board voted to approve a contract for interim superintendent Dr. James M. Pohl.",{"_32":88,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":89,"_40":90,"_42":91,"_44":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6190382,"School board adopts revised FY26 budget with larger pay package, adds reversion and true‑up funds to capital and operating plans",714,8280750,8995055,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5050335-ebcdc27ca5ae249014eae244a59a3633&start=8280&end=8995","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5050335-ebcdc27ca5ae249014eae244a59a3633/thumbnail_8280750.jpg","/articles/6190382/Virginia/School-board-adopts-revised-FY26-budget-with-larger-pay-package-adds-reversion-and-trueup-funds-to-capital-and-operating-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190382-4eedca67b56c021e94e3dcf86cd6cd54/orig.mp4?Expires=1769696840&Signature=LnuVhhMaYi6M6EvbMXIPkOpW6ilVDyeeKwTzcQ5GGu0tyAEYDAykIHWylTXO2txhEnMp1UIPRa1QeWvqV2z5Pj7UlyT1CwXs4tAT~HmUbJKz8TRPIa9fTCyMGpMwkveXhHwLft3A7yD3eC~tA8uArIcNpUzbbXrQhDBy533uQkd-jxxDUwj8sUtM1xyxp-hAwy3qrsfjX9lThbMAyvAEUloJG4SwaTp1H1A4yOMZ2KP~tX6-bNn0t3eZBYA0Rp6jRlmPcv2XlLrrpx6A2u0iv0tfzaPZHDeAwMh402igrRYpf8VBWO2KoveK5vzpfb8bYdxZ-YyONczjwoe~pVx2~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Norfolk school board on June 18 adopted a revised fiscal 2026 operating and capital budget after hearing staff recommendations that used additional city and state revenue to increase employee compensation and fund one‑time priorities.

Chief financial staff told the board the city had identified $3.05 million more local revenue than previously estimated and the state budget included about $10.3 million in additional SOQ‑related funding. After a reduction in the expected reversion balance, the division presented an available net increase of roughly $9.83 million and recommended how to allocate it across pay, summer programming and one‑time items.

Budget director Crystal Skinner explained that the board’s revision raises the average compensation adjustment to about 4.5% across salary tables (with staff saying no table will receive less than that). The division also recommended using a $2.69 million state “compensation supplement” payment toward employee bonuses or inclusion in the broader pay adjustments; staff recommended a pay‑rate approach so that employees at the top of paid scales receive raises comparable to others rather than only a one‑time bonus.

Mister Jenkins, presenting the monthly financials, said operating collections and expenditures through May show standard seasonal timing differences and that sales‑tax receipts are recorded in arrears. He also noted the division received roughly $2.69 million from the commonwealth that can be used for employee compensation and proposed that the bonus be distributed in December if approved.

The adopted budget also increases funding for summer school ($1.11 million), adds funding for additional special‑education paraprofessionals, expands the three‑year‑old preschool program and covers business‑application and insurance true‑ups. On the capital side, city council revised the district’s five‑year capital plan and reduced the total allocated for the Maury rebuild; the board accepted a revised capital program of approximately $202.95 million over the planning window, with $16.45 million in capital projects planned for FY26.

The board passed two related resolutions requesting city council appropriate the school share of FY24 reversion funds (roughly $6.46 million reported in the audit materials) and a true‑up allocation the city identified as $3.95 million. The reappropriation and true‑up requests are one‑time funds intended for capital and operating nonrecurring uses; staff recommended items such as school technology, musical instruments, student‑record digitization and targeted safety or equipment purchases.

Several trustees asked for follow‑up detail on the new pay computations, the number of employees at top‑of‑scale affected by previously proposed top‑scale adjustments, and how any future severance or personnel‑related payouts would affect the operating budget; staff said human resources and budget offices will finalize contract language and implement adjustments during the summer payroll cycle.

The board approved the amended FY26 budget and the two appropriation requests; the documents will go to Norfolk City Council for formal appropriation to the division.","The Norfolk school board voted to adopt a revised fiscal 2026 operating and capital budget that increases average pay adjustments to about 4.5% for employees, expands summer-school funding and directs one‑time reversion and excess‑revenue allocations to capital projects and targeted operating needs.",{"_32":100,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":101,"_40":102,"_42":103,"_44":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6190387,"Norfolk officials report sharp drop in Black students at STAR urgent-intervention level; SOL correlation remains unclear",368,51965,420315,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5050335-ebcdc27ca5ae249014eae244a59a3633&start=51&end=420","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5050335-ebcdc27ca5ae249014eae244a59a3633/thumbnail_51965.jpg","/articles/6190387/Virginia/Norfolk-officials-report-sharp-drop-in-Black-students-at-STAR-urgent-intervention-level-SOL-correlation-remains-unclear","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190387-922dc58f8cd2e4c93538923deeac9d28/orig.mp4?Expires=1769696840&Signature=D8oonTEzynmLI~qMACbMTo4qznj9wGo7NGSMtcZblkoQMfLfr4EEihrG9xlzjmBLeqiVLN1lppoxQ8lzyLCrB25902SFNKUJGarqGzyDPGrxQiEVPFkr9HCCdGx-92FO8o~peB4MTfsu4RSgYOMpOSBNJzk52IBtu2j7r9LC2GadwKGzwIB38ScetqEBkRTkjV3MtyautfsAHyV5VFnj1DSwed~lOD0xkKNzYZVE3pp8ytOJzerBFrBjyzj2D8SNyjAA9ldbbt5qhNTZ8hEbTgQ16d6KLPhPC~Pld9hUJ5YV1NvoA4P-WzHa7fKcKfpuglU8aRnt1l2ePzlnJsLWFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Interim Superintendent Dr. James M. Pohl told the Norfolk school board on June 18 that Renaissance STAR assessment data show a substantial decline in the percentage of Black students scoring at the STAR “urgent intervention” level in reading, and that the division exceeded its targets for 2024–25.

The report focused on Goal 3, Measure 2 — the percentage of Black students in grades 3–8 at the urgent intervention level on STAR reading. “The measure exceeded the target by 8.7 points,” Dr. Pohl said, adding that the percentage fell 16.3 points from spring 2024 to spring 2025 and nearly 20 points since spring 2022. He cautioned, however, that the division remains “right around that 20% mark” and that leaders want to bring the urgency-category rate below 10%.

Board members pressed staff on how STAR gains relate to the state SOL reading test, which used new standards and a new SOL reading assessment this year. “Our reading scores saw some improvement, but not like we've seen in STAR,” Dr. Pohl said. He explained that STAR is a consistent, locally administered interim assessment, while the SOL was redesigned; division staff plan correlation reports over the summer to compare STAR and SOL performance and examine cohort movement across intervention bands.

On Goal 4 (achievement-gap reduction), the division reported mixed results. Division presenters said proficiency and urgent-intervention rates improved across most subgroups from winter to spring on STAR, but some gaps widened between specific pairs (for example, students with disabilities versus non‑disabled students and Hispanic versus non‑Hispanic students on certain measures). The division noted English learner (EL) students did not show improvement in urgent intervention for reading.

Leaders described multiple implementation steps taken this year to support reading and math: divisionwide walkthroughs using the Virginia Department of Education ELA protocol, 92-hour observation cycles across 13 schools, school-based data meetings, professional development workshops tied to the Virginia literacy grant, and hiring efforts targeted at EL certification. In mathematics, the division reported expanded Zearn usage and more than 100 walkthroughs focused on the 2023 math standards, along with coaching on small-group instruction.

Board members asked for clearer root-cause analyses tied to assessment changes. One board member asked why the division planned to focus its summer review on SOL data rather than STAR; Dr. Pohl said that until a strong correlation between STAR and the new SOL is established, the SOL — which will remain the state accountability measure — is the wiser anchor for deeper, divisionwide root-cause work.

Division staff listed summer next steps: disaggregate STAR and SOL data by school and subgroup, support targeted schools with school improvement plans, expand professional development on high‑quality instructional materials and evidence‑based interventions, and complete a SOL–STAR correlation report to guide fall recalibration of interim goals.

Board members and staff emphasized that STAR gains indicate classroom-level progress but that the division will use the SOL correlation work to confirm how those gains translate to the state test.","Interim superintendent Dr. James M. Pohl told the school board that STAR reading data show a marked decline in the percentage of Black students scoring at the urgent-intervention level, while board members pressed staff to explain how that progress aligns with the state Standards of Learning tests (SOL).","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

External audit finds material weaknesses in NPS financial reporting and reconciliations; issues attributed to turnover

Interim superintendent named as public comment erupts over superintendent termination

School board adopts revised FY26 budget with larger pay package, adds reversion and true‑up funds to capital and operating plans

Norfolk officials report sharp drop in Black students at STAR urgent-intervention level; SOL correlation remains unclear