Since the state Legislature approved House Bill 1660 in June 2020, school districts across Washington have been examining the law to understand what is required of them and how to manage their Associated Student Body (ASB) funds. Here's a quick refresher about the law, who's responsible for setting the criteria, and how SAO plans to audit this area.
We're excited to see you in person at this year's annual WASBO conference. Since we last saw you—virtually in 2021—we've updated some of your favorite resources, like the school's financial statement review and preparation checklist, and made some changes to our piggybacking best practices guide. We've also launched new guides and checklists for payroll and accounts payable that you won't want to miss. And with the influx of federal money to school districts, we've created a new tool to help with your federal grant programs. Stop by our booth to learn more about these resources!
There has been interest in audits of three Washington charter schools released Thursday, March 2. To make it easier to find these reports as a group, we have collected them here:
This week, the Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) is hosting a virtual version of its annual conference, which makes this an opportune time to check in regarding financial reporting and auditing issues.
We have collected information that matters specifically to schools in an Audit Connection newsletter targeted specifically to schools and school districts and packaged it in this digital newsletter.
Charter and tribal schools are subject to public audit just as established public schools are. In the 2020-21 school year, more than 5,600 students were served by charter and tribal schools in Washington.
SAO audits the public monies received by each type of school.
Recent audits of tribal schools reflect that the schools keep records to support revenue and expenditures, and that the schools have quickly implemented audit recommendations.
School districts have asked the State Auditor's Office for as much clarity as we can provide on what we plan to audit each fiscal year. Like districts, SAO relies on the Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction for clear rules and guidance to provide the criteria for the audits.
Today, we published an interactive report on special education funding in Washington, as authorized under Enhanced Second Substitute Senate Bill 5091. Special education helps about 143,000 Washington students succeed in our school system.
School districts, like so many governments, continue to face challenging situations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have had to shutter schools, convert to remote learning quickly, and move to remote working all while continuing to provide essential services to their students. As school districts look to the start of school and beyond, they continue to face new challenges during these uncertain times.
This week, the Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) is hosting a virtual version of its annual conference, which makes this an opportune time to check in regarding financial reporting and auditing issues.
Like we did in the fall, we have collected information that matters specifically to schools in an Audit Connection newsletter targeted specifically to schools and school districts, this time in a digital format.
From time to time, the State Auditor's Office compiles the articles we post on this blog into our Audit Connection print newsletter, which we distribute at meetings and conferences. Recently, we put together our first print newsletter aimed solely at education professionals.