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Independent audit finds 'unmodified opinion' as district notes small enrollment drop
Summary
An external auditor delivered a clean audit for fiscal year 2025 and a finance update showing revenues up about $2.4 million and expenditures up 6.8%; the district reported an enrollment decline of about 83 residents compared with the prior year.
An independent auditor presented the Sartell‑St. Stephen School District’s fiscal year results and delivered an "unmodified opinion" — industry terminology for a clean audit — at the board’s November meeting.
The auditor summarized financial highlights: total revenues rose by about $2.4 million (roughly 4.5%), driven in part by emergency connectivity funds and a levy increase; expenditures rose about 6.8% largely because of technology refreshes and salary/benefit changes. The auditor noted a middle‑level internal‑control finding related to segregation of duties, a common issue for districts of this size, with some mitigating controls in place.
The presentation included district trends in student counts: the district reported a decline of about 83 resident students year‑to‑year and a weighted‑basis decrease of about 89 (driven by secondary student weightings). On a per‑student basis, revenues increased roughly $950 per student because revenues rose while student counts fell.
The auditor said the district ended the year with a modest increase in fund balance — about $213,013 — and that unassigned fund balance closed the year above the board’s minimum policy (12.7% vs. a 10% minimum). The auditor also reviewed special revenue funds (food service and community service) and noted some areas to watch, including food‑service cost pressures and deficit spending in the community service fund.
What happens next: The board voted to approve the fiscal year 2025 audit as presented. Trustees and staff asked few follow‑up questions during the meeting and thanked the finance team for preparing materials.
