District 57 board approves fiscal‑year 2025 audit; consent agenda approved, board moves to closed session on negotiations
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Summary
The District 57 Board of Education received a presentation of the FY25 audit from auditor John Epperson and voted to approve the audit and the consent agenda; the meeting ended with a unanimous vote to enter closed session for bargaining matters.
The District 57 Board of Education on Oct. 16 heard from John Epperson of Miller Cooper about the district’s fiscal‑year 2025 audit and subsequently approved the audit and related consent items during the meeting.
Epperson told the board the auditors had completed their quality control review since the board packet was issued, that a formal draft report was prepared with no anticipated changes, and that the firm expected to issue an unmodified (clean) opinion. He highlighted the management’s discussion and analysis, the government‑wide statement of net position, and new GASB guidance affecting compensated absences, which produced a non‑fund‑level liability adjustment of about $5.6 million related to sick‑leave accounting. Epperson said the audit produced no reportable internal‑control deficiencies and no uncorrected misstatements. He also noted standard recommendations on data security and technology risk.
After the presentation the board approved the consent agenda by roll call and later moved to approve the fiscal‑year 2025 audit. Both votes were unanimous among the members present. The board then voted unanimously to enter closed session for collective‑bargaining and salary‑schedule deliberations.
Votes at a glance - Consent agenda: motion and second (not specified in public record). Roll‑call vote recorded as unanimous (Member Faye: Yes; Member Leto: Yes; Member Nelson: Yes; Vice President Choke: Yes; Member Dorner: Yes; President Bennett: Yes). Outcome: approved. - Approval of FY25 audit: motion and second (not specified). Roll‑call vote recorded as unanimous (Member Leto: Yes; Member Nelson: Yes; Vice President Choke: Yes; Member Dorner: Yes; Member Faye: Yes; President Bennett: Yes). Outcome: approved. - Motion to enter closed session for collective bargaining: motion and second (not specified). Roll‑call vote recorded as unanimous (Member Leto: Yes; Member Nelson: Yes; Vice President Choke: Yes; Member Dorner: Yes; Member Faye: Yes; President Bennett: Yes). Outcome: approved; closed session called for negotiations and salary‑schedule deliberations.
The audit presentation and the board’s discussion emphasized that the $5.6 million adjustment is an accounting presentation driven by GASB guidance on compensated absences and sick‑leave treatment; Epperson said this is a high‑level estimate and not a monthly, fund‑level operating change. The district’s finance staff were commended for preparing materials that yielded no internal control findings, a milestone auditors said they had not observed in recent years.
No board member dissents were recorded on the public votes.
