State auditor presents Award with Distinction; district honors student athletes and A+ staff

Scott Brown, Central Ohio regional liaison for the Ohio Auditor of State, presented the Auditor of State Award with Distinction to the Westerville City School District at the board’s April 2025 meeting.

The award recognizes local governments and school districts that submit timely financial reports, prepare a comprehensive annual financial report on a GAAP basis and receive a “clean” audit report without findings such as material weaknesses, findings for recovery or uniform guidance findings. Brown said roughly 4% of audited entities qualify for the honor and praised the district’s finance team and leadership.

“We’d like to recognize your treasurer and CFO Nicole Marshall for her leadership, professionalism and exceptional commitment to fiscal integrity,” Brown said as he presented the award on behalf of Auditor Keith Faber.

The board also used the meeting to recognize a string of student and staff honors: Westerville North’s boys basketball team (Ohio Division II state champions), indoor track state champions from Westerville Central (including back‑to‑back state high jump and triple jump winner Elijah Harris and 400‑meter champion Robert Young), state wrestling top finishers from North and South, and the district’s spring A+ award recipients — employees nominated by students, families and colleagues for exemplary service.

The board called forward student athletes and staff recipients and acknowledged several individuals by name, including Micah Young and Ty Perkins (North basketball), Elijah Harris and Robert Young (Central track), and A+ award winners from across the district.

The presentation and recognitions occupied the first portion of the April meeting; no formal action was required to accept the award, which the auditor’s office made at the meeting.