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Birmingham Public Schools auditors issue clean opinion; district posts healthy fund balance
Summary
Plante Moran issued an unmodified opinion on Birmingham Public Schools' fiscal-year 2024 financial statements and single-audit for tested federal programs; board heard general-fund results showing a $18.4 million fund balance (12.2% of expenditures) and approved routine business.
Plante Moran auditors told the Birmingham Public Schools Board that they issued an unmodified ("clean") opinion on the district's financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2024, and an unmodified single-audit opinion on the federal programs tested.
The auditors, identified in the presentation as Chris and Quintin, said the district's audited financial statements cover the general fund, special revenue funds, debt service and capital projects and that federal testing focused on the child nutrition cluster and certain special education grants. "We issued an unmodified opinion," the auditor said during the presentation, calling it "the highest form of assurance an auditor can provide." Board members responded with thanks for the audit team's work.
District staff summarized key fiscal-year figures. The general fund had a total fund balance of about $18.4 million against roughly $150.7 million in operating expenditures, producing a fund-balance ratio of 12.2 percent, within the district's stated target range of 10 to 15 percent. Staff noted a reduction in the general fund balance of about $1.1 million for the year and that COVID-era allocations shown in prior presentations were fully spent as of June 30, 2024.
Administrators highlighted the composition of general fund revenue: Birmingham reported a foundation allowance of $13,363 per pupil for 2024, with local property taxes (homestead and non-homestead) and state aid making up the remainder of that amount. The presenters emphasized that the foundation allowance represents roughly 65 percent of general-fund revenue. Enrollment was cited as 7,314 students in 2024, a modest rise from 7,233 the prior year.
The board thanked the audit team and administration and had no follow-up votes related to the audit itself. The audit presentation was followed by other business on the agenda.
Next steps: The board will receive regular financial updates; the district will continue monitoring fund balance and retirement costs that totaled roughly $37 million for the fiscal year, including approximately $13.9 million identified under the 147c1 retirement funding line.
