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Superintendent proposes restoring third finance position; five‑year projection discussion continues
Summary
Superintendent Don Cowart proposed restoring a third accountant/controller position in the finance office to handle audits, grants and routine accounting; committee members supported the idea. District staff further explained the complexities of the five‑year fiscal projection and reserve strategies.
Superintendent Don Cowart told the committee he plans to post a third finance‑office position — restoring the office to a three‑person structure — to provide accounting capacity, support audits and create capacity to pursue and manage grants.
Why it matters: The finance office handles payroll, accounts payable/receivable, audits and grant reporting; additional staffing would change internal controls and may affect the district’s ability to respond to audits and manage federal, state and private grants.
Reason for the change: Cowart said the finance office had operated with three positions historically (finance director, controller, staff accountant) and that the office became understaffed after pandemic‑era turnover. Staff described three audits completed in a single year and ongoing audit work for 2025; Cowart said restoring the position would free senior staff to perform higher‑level controller and audit‑preparation work and allow a new hire to take on transactional tasks and grant tracking.
Committee reaction: Members expressed support and emphasized clear role definitions and efficient use of the new hire. One member urged the office to use the added capacity to perform self‑audits and improve internal controls. Cowart said the position is budgeted in the proposed budget and that he expected a recruitment period before filling the role.
Five‑year projection and reserves: Cowart and finance staff explained that the five‑year projection is a forecasting tool — not a fixed multi‑year budget — and outlined variables that cause year‑to‑year change (medical costs, pension, utilities, special‑education placements, substitute costs and overtime). Staff said they will continue refining the projection before presenting it to the committee and town and noted strategies to build capital reserves, including completing Stage 1/Stage 2 school construction applications to secure housing‑aid reimbursements that can be deposited in reserve accounts.
Next steps: Cowart said he will post the finance position, provide an updated organizational chart to the committee if the position is filled, and return with a revised five‑year projection after working with the finance team and town officials.
