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Audit finds wide compliance in Okaloosa internal school funds; training expanded
Summary
An external audit of Okaloosa County School District internal funds found mostly minor issues, with 31 schools reporting no findings; district officials highlighted expanded quarterly training for bookkeepers to strengthen controls.
An external audit of Okaloosa County School district internal funds found mostly minor, low-level issues and prompted expanded training for school bookkeepers, district staff said.
The audit, presented by Ms. Perry, covered the districts 2023-24 internal funds (funds schools collect for field trips, fundraisers and donations). Ms. Perry told the board auditors reviewed transactions under generally accepted auditing standards, the States "red book" and the districts internal funds manual.
Auditors found the program large but well controlled. Ms. Perry said schools collectively collected and expended more than $15 million last year and that the audit tested a high volume of activity: about 29,000 receipts, 12,000 checks and 18,000 journal entries. The auditors expanded testing of journal entries and athletic-event activity, she said.
The audit classified findings on a four-level scale from an "improvement point" to a "material weakness." Ms. Perry reported only level-1 items (the lowest level), noting 31 schools had no findings; three schools had one finding each; one school had two findings; one had three; and one school recorded nine findings. Ms. Perry said the school with nine findings had several bookkeepers during the year and has since replaced the bookkeeper.
Board members praised bookkeepers and the finance staff. One member pointed to Niceville High School as an example, noting auditors found no exceptions there. Ms. Perry and board members emphasized the scale of the bookkeeping task and said the audits also serve as learning opportunities.
As part of the districts response, Ms. Perry described expanded training: annual in-person training remains, but the district has added quarterly in-person sessions and one-on-one support for new bookkeepers. She said bookkeepers requested more in-person sessions after initial Zoom trainings and that the in-person workgroups have improved networking and problem solving among school staff.
Board members and staff said the training and oversight were key to maintaining controls over high transaction volumes and expressed appreciation for bookkeepers work.
The presentation and supporting materials were provided to the board; Ms. Perry recommended continuing the current audit and training approach.
