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Winona board accepts clean audit, approves cooperative athletics agreements and nearly $30,000 in donations
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Summary
The Winona Area Public School District board accepted an unmodified audit, approved cooperative agreements for boys tennis and robotics, and accepted $29,919.73 in community donations (one abstention recorded). The audit noted one significant deficiency: limited segregation of accounting duties.
The Winona Area Public School District Board accepted the district’s annual audit, approved several cooperative activity agreements and accepted community donations totaling $29,919.73 at its Nov. 11 meeting.
The independent auditor, identified in the presentation as Nate, told the board the firm was issuing an unmodified opinion on the district’s financial statements — the highest standard auditors give. He also flagged one significant deficiency related to the segregation of accounting duties, a fairly common finding in similarly sized districts, and said single-audit testing is in preliminary status while awaiting final federal guidance. "We are issuing an unmodified opinion," the auditor said during the presentation.
During discussion board members asked how long the segregation-of-duties issue has persisted and how other districts address it. The auditor said the deficiency has appeared in Winona audits during his tenure and that larger districts often address the issue by dedicating staff strictly to oversight duties separate from daily transactions.
On a motion by "Mister Solomon" with a second from Director Conradi, the board voted by voice to accept the audit. The meeting record shows the motion carried by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded for that motion.
Also on the consent/agendized portion of the meeting the board approved three cooperative agreements by a single motion and voice vote: adding Riverway to the boys tennis cooperative; dissolving an existing robotics coop between Winona Senior High and Cotter; and establishing a new, expanded robotics coop that includes Cotter, Saint Charles and Riverway.
The board accepted a detailed list of community donations valued at $29,919.73, including in-kind school supplies, funds for extracurricular programs and larger gifts routed through the district foundation. The donations were approved by roll call: Monica Siegfried — yes; Michael Henry — yes; Lee Watkins — abstain; Carl Sonneman — yes; Jack Hedeen — yes; Nancy Gunther — yes.
The audit presentation also reviewed financial trends: modest increases in state funding for 2025 and an overall general fund increase in fund balance for the first time since 2021, though the unassigned fund balance remained slightly under the district policy target of 8–10% of operating expenses.
The board heard additional briefings and will take up some items — including formal action on the comprehensive achievement report — at a future meeting.
What’s next: The district will file finalized single-audit documents after federal guidance is issued and return selected strategic items for board action at upcoming meetings.
