Roseville auditors report clean 2023‑24 opinion; board postpones formal acceptance to February

CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) told the Roseville Area School Board on Jan. 29 that the district’s 2023‑24 audit is in final review and will receive an unmodified, or "clean," opinion.

The auditors also reported no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal controls and no Yellow Book compliance issues. "Once we do issue the audit, the district's going to receive an unmodified or a clean audit report," CLA principal Chris Knopeks said during his presentation.

Why it matters: a clean audit gives the public and bond markets greater assurance that the district’s financial statements fairly present its fiscal position and results. Board and staff discussed components of the fund balance that improved the district’s position, and auditors noted one Minnesota legal compliance item involving the timing of UFARS (state reporting) uploads, which resulted from post‑deadline general ledger adjustments rather than audit adjustments.

Details: CLA said the district made notable year‑over‑year improvements in closing and audit timeliness and that the audit was in final review earlier than the prior year. Grace, a CLA staff member on the engagement, and Knopeks emphasized the engagement was positive and applauded the district finance team for the improvements. Knopeks explained the auditors’ role around internal controls — they report deficiencies found during testing but do not provide an opinion on controls — and said nothing rose to the level of a material weakness.

The firm also briefed the board on upcoming Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards that will affect future financial statements, including GASB 101 (expanded recognition of accrued leave liabilities), GASB 102 (disclosure of the regulatory environment), and GASB 103 (changes to the financial reporting model and MD&A content).

Board action: the board moved and seconded an agenda adjustment to postpone item 7A (formal acceptance of the 2023‑24 audit report) and approved the postponement by voice vote. Staff told the board the audit will return for formal approval at the Feb. 10 meeting.

Context and limits: auditors described one compliance item tied to UFARS reporting timing (the state’s Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Standards). The auditors characterized those adjustments as timing differences that staff expected to post and not as audit adjustments. The district will receive the final audit document for formal approval at the February meeting.