Audit committee reports unmodified opinions but flags internal controls and accounting adjustments

Shelby Green, vice chair of the Leon County Schools Audit Committee, briefed the Board on the committee's March 20 meeting and the audits covering the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. The external auditor gave the district an unmodified opinion on the financial statements and completed the federal single audit, but reported findings that required audit adjustments, identified bank-reconciliation issues in the district's revolving account and noted concerns about beginning capital-asset balances and depreciation calculations.

Green said the district has developed a comprehensive corrective-action plan and that Finance staff are coordinating with departments to implement recommendations. The external audit's federal focus included Title I and the Student Financial Assistance cluster.

On school internal accounts — activity funds at each school and Lively Technical College — the auditors sampled 15 sites and again issued an unmodified opinion but reported seven findings. Those findings related to segregation of duties, maintenance of documentation for cash disbursements and receipts, ticketed events and the timeliness of monthly reconciliations. Green said auditors noted significant improvement over prior years despite the decentralized nature of transactions across more than 40 school sites.

Shelby Green also summarized an internal audit of Griffin Middle School (conducted after a special management request), which found payroll/timekeeping exceptions for positions funded with 21st Century and Title I funds and concerns about unauthorized methods for collecting school internal-account funds. The committee will continue quarterly meetings and will next report to the board in August 2025.

Board members thanked the audit team and Finance and encouraged prompt follow-through on the corrective actions identified.