External auditors give Buncombe County Schools an unmodified opinion for 2024–25

Anderson Smith & Wyke, LLC presented Buncombe County Schools’ 06/30/2025 annual financial audit to the board on Jan. 15, reporting an unmodified — or clean — opinion and no audit findings.

Auditor Ms. Innocent told the board the district received the best possible audit opinion and that the finance team and school bookkeepers provided timely documentation and cooperation. "That's a clean opinion," she said. She noted the most significant accounting estimate change this year reflected an adjustment for sick leave valuation required by a change in accounting principles but said this did not affect fund balance.

Key figures the auditor highlighted include a general fund balance that began the year at about $19.0 million and ended the year at roughly $18.7 million, with about $4.5 million appropriated for the 2025–26 budget leaving just under $14.0 million in uncommitted general fund balance if appropriations are fully spent. The capital outlay fund increased by about $8.6 million and ended near $37.4 million; the child nutrition program cash balance declined from about $8.6 million to about $8.0 million, reflecting statewide trends driven by higher food and labor costs and storm impacts.

Ms. Innocent also reviewed federal awards and compliance testing, reporting no issues with federal or state program reporting and noting that the expiration of ESSER funds in the 06/30/2025 fiscal year produced a large but now‑closed influx of federal dollars that affected several years of spending.

Board members thanked the finance and audit teams for their work. The audit presentation closed with no disagreements between auditors and management and no corrective findings recommended.