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Auditor reports unmodified opinion; board hears drop in federal COVID-era funds
Summary
Auditor told the Lenoir County Board of Education the system received an unmodified (clean) audit opinion for fiscal 2024–25 and reported federal funding fell from $36 million to $23 million as COVID-era support ended; child nutrition showed recurring losses that staff will address.
The auditor reported an unmodified — or "clean" — opinion for Lenoir County Schools' fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and told the board at its Jan. 5 meeting that prior audit findings have been cleared.
"We have an unmodified opinion," the auditor said, and added the audit was submitted to the Local Government Commission with approval expected within a week or two.
The auditor also highlighted a decline in federal COVID-era funding, saying federal funds decreased "from 36,000,000 to 23,000,000" in the current fiscal year. He described local funds (current expense, capital outlay and an 'other restricted' fund) as overall stable. The child nutrition fund, however, had "a fairly significant loss" tied to lower participation; the presenter said management is exploring ways to improve its performance.
Officials noted an accounting change (GASB 101) that expands reported leave liabilities — a disclosure item that the auditor said should not materially affect how the district conducts its budget process. The board discussed where the audit would be publicly posted and was told it may appear on the state treasurer's site or a single-audit clearinghouse; hard copies will be posted after Local Government Commission approval.
No formal board action on the audit itself was recorded; the board thanked finance staff for preparing the report.
