Schuylkill Valley board accepts annual audit; auditors issue clean opinion with federal component pending
November 10, 2025 | Schuylkill Valley SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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The Schuylkill Valley School District board on Oct. 27 voted 9-0 to accept the district's annual local audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, as presented by Herbine and Company.
Nick Bieber, senior manager at Herbine and Company, told the board the firm issued an unmodified (clean) opinion under generally accepted auditing standards and that his team found no internal control deficiencies or compliance issues rising to the level of a significant deficiency or material weakness in the financial-statement audit. Bieber said the auditor carved out the federal "uniform guidance" portion of the audit because the federal clearinghouse could not be tested while the federal government was shut down; that federal component remains pending and will be added once federal testing can be completed.
Bieber summarized key figures: total revenues for the year were about $493,000 over the final budget (roughly 1% variance), federal revenues exceeded budget by about $765,000 (including ESSER funds and carryover Title I spending), and general fund expenditures were about $2,265,000 over the final budget (a 4.8% variance) driven largely by special programs, contracted services and tuition. The audit showed a decrease in general fund balance of $1,752,000, leaving an ending general fund balance of $2,667,000. Unassigned fund balance was presented as approximately $2,500,000, or about 5.1% of next year's budgeted expenditures.
In the management letter, the auditors recommended the board consider a written minimum fund-balance policy (they suggested 5% as guidance) and noted upcoming reporting changes under new GASB guidance that will require more transparent budgetary-schedule explanations in financial statements.
Board members asked questions about the firm's recent acquisition; Bieber said Herbine will present historical engagements as Herbine and Company but future engagements will use the Cherry Beckert name. After discussion the board voted to accept the audit report, 9-0.
The board did not vote on any immediate policy changes; the audit acceptance directs staff to incorporate the audit in district records and consider management-letter recommendations in future budget and policy work.
Nick Bieber, senior manager at Herbine and Company, told the board the firm issued an unmodified (clean) opinion under generally accepted auditing standards and that his team found no internal control deficiencies or compliance issues rising to the level of a significant deficiency or material weakness in the financial-statement audit. Bieber said the auditor carved out the federal "uniform guidance" portion of the audit because the federal clearinghouse could not be tested while the federal government was shut down; that federal component remains pending and will be added once federal testing can be completed.
Bieber summarized key figures: total revenues for the year were about $493,000 over the final budget (roughly 1% variance), federal revenues exceeded budget by about $765,000 (including ESSER funds and carryover Title I spending), and general fund expenditures were about $2,265,000 over the final budget (a 4.8% variance) driven largely by special programs, contracted services and tuition. The audit showed a decrease in general fund balance of $1,752,000, leaving an ending general fund balance of $2,667,000. Unassigned fund balance was presented as approximately $2,500,000, or about 5.1% of next year's budgeted expenditures.
In the management letter, the auditors recommended the board consider a written minimum fund-balance policy (they suggested 5% as guidance) and noted upcoming reporting changes under new GASB guidance that will require more transparent budgetary-schedule explanations in financial statements.
Board members asked questions about the firm's recent acquisition; Bieber said Herbine will present historical engagements as Herbine and Company but future engagements will use the Cherry Beckert name. After discussion the board voted to accept the audit report, 9-0.
The board did not vote on any immediate policy changes; the audit acceptance directs staff to incorporate the audit in district records and consider management-letter recommendations in future budget and policy work.
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