Board accepts West Oso ISD annual financial audit; auditors issue clean opinion

The West Oso ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept the district’s annual financial audit for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2024. Michael Kishnick of Laverne & Kishnick presented the audit and said the firm issued an unmodified opinion — the highest-level, or “clean,” audit opinion.

Kishnick read the auditor’s opinion aloud: "In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the governmental activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of West Dose Independent School District as of 08/31/2024…in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in The United States Of America." He summarized key figures: total government-wide assets of $46,011,159; liabilities of $42,772,228; and an ending net position of $1,359,206. On the fund basis, Kishnick focused on the general fund: ending fund balance reported as $3,403,387 after a positive net change in fund balance of $952,274 for the year.

Board action: Trustee Liz Gutierrez moved to approve the audit; Trustee Shirley Jordan seconded. The vote was recorded as aye by all seven trustees and the motion passed 7–0.

Why it matters: An unmodified opinion indicates auditors found the district’s financial statements to be free of material misstatements under GAAP. The audit's fund-basis and government-wide figures provide the board and community with official, audited totals that the district will use in budget planning and state reporting.

Trustees asked clarifying questions during and after the presentation about specific audit pages and tax collections. The auditor and staff clarified that certain large dollar figures appearing in report appendices were statewide totals or related to state programs and not sums specific to West Oso ISD. Trustees praised staff for tightening controls and increasing the general fund balance compared with prior years.