District says DOE is coordinating while staff reconcile prior-year accounts; consultant hired under $14,000 cap
Loading...
Summary
District finance staff told the board they are working with the state DOE to prioritize AFR submissions (the "348" report) while reconciling prior-year grants; the board was told consultant Thomas Kaufman has an hourly contract "up to $14,000."
Finance staff told the Gadsden School Board on Dec. 5 that the district is working to resolve prior-year accounting issues before completing its Annual Financial Report (AFR), and that the Florida Department of Education (DOE) has asked the district to prioritize the AFR's "348" portion for early submission.
"DOE has asked us to focus on the 348 reports," said a finance staff member (Speaker 1), adding that the district is turning in parts of the AFR as those pieces are completed rather than waiting for every reconciliation to finish. "I talk with DOE staff probably every other day, updating them," the staff member said.
The board heard that the work is time-consuming: staff described a step-by-step reconciliation of grants and trust funds in the district's Skyward financial system and said prior-year corrections will allow the district to run accurate payroll and prepare W-2s. The staff member said December payroll will run this Friday and that January payroll will run on Jan. 31.
To assist with the program cost report and other tasks, the district hired consultant Thomas Kaufman under an hourly contract the finance presenter described as "up to $14,000." The presenter said the contract is intended to cover work through submission and to remain available if DOE requests corrections after review.
Board members noted the AFR deadline was missed this year; the meeting record shows the deadline stated in the discussion as Sept. 11. "So we already passed our deadline for having it in," a board member observed. Finance staff said the district is focused on finishing the prior year (identified in the meeting as 2023-24) so future AFRs can meet the recommended schedule.
No formal votes were held on the consultant contract or finance items during the discussion. Finance staff said they will continue to coordinate with DOE and provide status updates to the board as the reconciliations and AFR work progress.
Next steps: the finance office will continue reconciliations, prioritize the DOE-requested "348" filings, and keep the board informed about any additional consultant work or required approvals.
