Thompson School District confronts audit findings, approves amended budget and related contracts

The Thompson School District R-2J Board of Education on Jan. 22 accepted a comprehensive financial audit that identified multiple material weaknesses in internal controls, approved payment of an expanded audit invoice and consulting contract, and adopted an amended 2024–25 budget reflecting lower revenues and added expenditures.

The outside auditor, Plante Moran, reported findings the district must address, and the board approved an amended budget and several related expenditures to fund corrections and operations. The board voted to approve an additional invoice for the audit work and to accept the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).

Why it matters: The audit found deficiencies in internal controls, supervision, reconciliation and documentation that increase risk to district finances. Board members and members of the public pressed district leadership for more transparent, regular budget-to-actual reporting and for stronger oversight of finance operations.

Plante Moran partner Jamie Assemacher, appearing with audit lead Mark Wengren, told the board the audit resulted in an unmodified (clean) opinion on the financial statements while also listing several internal-control deficiencies that the firm recommended the district remedy through stronger…