Independent auditor gives Coatesville Area School District a clean opinion for FY2025

The Coatesville Area School District was presented with an unmodified — commonly called "clean" — audit opinion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, the district’s auditor told the Finance Committee on Feb. 10.

Chris Herr of Malley LLP told trustees the independent financial‑statement audit and the federal single (uniform guidance) audit showed no findings or instances of noncompliance. "The audit report expresses an unmodified opinion," Herr said, adding that the firm found no scope limitations and received all requested documentation. He said the audit required six adjusting entries, three of which were routine pension and OPEB adjustments the firm typically records for school districts.

The auditor outlined several key numbers: the district reported approximately $334 million in capital asset cost, with roughly $12 million in depreciation for the year and accumulated depreciation near $160 million (about 47% of cost). Capital additions during the year were nearly $40 million, including projects such as HVAC upgrades and school renovations. Herr also reported the district’s net pension liability declined slightly to about $113 million and that the district remained a low‑risk auditee for federal awards, with the child nutrition cluster examined this year and no findings identified.

Board Chair Liz Muirhead thanked district staff for supporting the audit process and noted the clean opinion was strengthened by the auditor’s long experience with other Pennsylvania districts. The committee voted to move acceptance of the audit and the district financial statements to the full board for formal action and placement on the full board agenda.

What comes next: the full board will consider a motion to accept the audit and to approve the financial statements at the board meeting later this month. The full audit report was referenced as available in the executive attachments for trustees to review before that vote.