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Auditor gives West Orange Public Schools a clean audit while residents and trustees warn of a likely $10 million-plus budget gap
Summary
The district’s external auditor reported unmodified opinions and a $7.8 million year-end surplus, but board members and parents warned structural deficits driven by rising health care and transportation costs could create a $10M+ shortfall in the coming budget year and called for greater transparency on transportation costs.
Robert Hague, the district’s external financial auditor, told the West Orange Board of Education that the district received unmodified (clean) audit opinions for the 2024–25 fiscal year and reported a year-end surplus of $7.8 million.
Hague said the district drew down about $3.5 million from capital reserve during the year to complete projects and replenished roughly $1.5 million through unexpended funds and additional revenue. He described three separate audit opinions — for financial statements, government auditing standards (internal controls) and the single-audit for federal grants — and said none required lowering the level of assurance. "You receive that what we call a clean opinion or unmodified opinion," he said, noting the district…
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