Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Lupine Community Montessori reports enrollment growth but faces delayed audit and unaudited negative fund-balance concerns
Loading...
Summary
Courtney McWilliams reported that Lupine Community Montessori has grown to about 324 students and improved early literacy results, but the school's FY2024–25 audit is delayed and an unaudited negative ending fund balance prompted board questions about solvency and district oversight.
Courtney McWilliams, executive director of Lupine Community Montessori Charter School, presented the school’s annual report April 2, noting enrollment growth, facility acquisitions and improved reading outcomes while answering board questions about a delayed audit and a potentially negative unaudited ending fund balance.
Why it matters: A charter school's financial health and timely audits are local fiscal-accountability issues because unauthorized insolvency could affect students and require district follow-up or intervention.
McWilliams said Lupine (previously Lewis and Clark Montessori) currently enrolls about 324 students and expects roughly 332 for the 2026–27 school year. She highlighted program measures: 22 percent of students have IEPs, 36 percent qualify for free and reduced-price meals, and the school reported strong gains in early literacy attributed to an early literacy grant and small instructional groups.
Board members pressed McWilliams on finance and audit timing. McWilliams said Lupine is awaiting its fiscal-year audit for the year ending June 30, 2025, which she described as several months late. When a board member observed an unaudited negative ending fund balance on the school’s snapshot, McWilliams acknowledged the concern, described midyear cost corrections (including layoffs of some hourly auxiliary staff and suspension of the meals program), and said she has contacted the accounting firm to complete the audit.
Chair Peterson asked whether the district can be supportive in getting the audit completed; district staff said they will follow up and provide recommended steps. McWilliams said the purchases of two buildings earlier in the year consumed a large share of Lupine’s reserves as down payments for the acquisitions; she said she expects to provide a solvent forecast once the audit is complete.
Next steps: District staff offered to work with the charter to help expedite the audit and said they will report back. The board requested an intermediate update before any contract- or governance-level actions would be considered.
Note on terminology: The school’s presentation used the name Lupine Community Montessori Charter School; the district and presenters used that name during the meeting.
