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St. Tammany schools receive clean audit; board approves federal and state budgets
Summary
External auditors delivered an unmodified (clean) opinion on the district’s fiscal year audit; the board approved recommended federal and state budgets and reviewed monthly financial reports including transfers into parishwide construction.
An external auditor told the St. Tammany Parish School Board the district’s fiscal-year audit resulted in an unmodified opinion and no reportable internal control weaknesses.
The finding, delivered by Lester Rishu of LaPorte, was the headline of a finance update during the board’s public meeting. Rishu said auditors also reviewed federal awards including Education Stabilization Fund spending and “didn’t encounter any issues that we had to report” in that portion of the federal awards audit.
The clean audit — often called an unmodified opinion — means the auditors did not find conditions that would require a qualified opinion or reportable control deficiencies. “No weaknesses or control deficiencies,” Rishu told the board.
Why it matters: a clean audit reassures the public and state oversight entities that the district’s financial statements fairly present operations and that basic financial controls are in place.
Board action and related budget items The board voted to approve recommended fiscal year 2024–25 federal and state grant budgets, which the superintendent and finance staff described as largely controlled and approved by the Louisiana Department of Education. The board’s vote was procedural; staff said the state approves the budgets and the board’s action is administrative.
Board members also received monthly financial reports for November and December. Board members asked for and received clarifications about interfund transfers and project funding: finance staff explained a planned $3,000,000 transfer from the general fund to parishwide construction that is spread monthly and expected to be completed after property-tax receipts are received this winter, and said some items previously paid from a construction account may be reallocated to security funding in February.
Quotes from staff “An unmodified opinion — that’s exactly what you hope to see in a situation like this,” Lester Rishu said while summarizing the audit results. CFO Terry Prevost and accounting staff were recognized in the meeting for transparency and for receiving national awards for budgeting and accounting practices.
Board concerns and next steps Board members pressed staff on the timing and destination of transfers and on specific December expenditures (for example, a small recorded “land” expense that staff characterized as an appraisal or property study). Finance staff said they will continue to provide detail and would move some security-related purchases (radios, fencing) to a security budget where appropriate.
Ending The clean audit and the board’s routine approvals leave the district’s prescribed financial controls intact; staff said they will return with any recommended reclassifications of specific expenditures and with continued monthly reporting.
