While auditing school districts’ federal programs this year, auditors have noted a challenge related to the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, which was part of the federal government’s COVID-19 relief package and intended to facilitate a fast conversion to remote learning.
… CONTINUE READING →
The Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) is hosting its annual conference this week in Spokane. SAO representatives will be there in person, sharing the latest news on financial reporting and auditing issues.
… CONTINUE READING →
Every educational service district in Washington has established a regional school safety center, conducted threat assessments, and offered trainings, resources and consultation to area schools, according to a performance audit released today.
… CONTINUE READING →
The Office of the Washington State Auditor is excited to announce the addition of school district financial data to our Financial Intelligence Tool (FIT). Before we make this data available to the public, we are inviting school districts to preview their data and become familiar with how to use the tool.
… CONTINUE READING →
This week, the Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) is hosting its annual conference. As is our custom, we have created an Audit Connection newsletter designed just for schools and school districts.
… CONTINUE READING →
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.
… CONTINUE READING →
Accounting and reporting guidance for leases and subscription-based information technology arrangements (SBITAs) are changing for school districts and charter schools. Before this change, districts and charters used a somewhat subjective test to determine if a lease should be classified as “operating” or “capital.” Under the new guidance, all leases (with a few stated exceptions) are just leases, eliminating “operating” leases. The primary goal of the new accounting method is to increase comparability across governments; it also gives financial statement users better, more complete information by establishing a single model for lease accounting.
… CONTINUE READING →
Just like established public schools, charter and tribal schools are subject to public audit. In the 2020-21 school year, Washington’s charter and tribal schools served more than 5,600 students. SAO audits the public funding that each type of school receives. This article outlines how each type of school fares under public audit.
… CONTINUE READING →
Washington’s governments encountered special audit circumstances this year when it came to preparing the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). School districts were no different—and many of you found yourselves facing a federal audit for the first time because the funding you received related to the COVID-19 pandemic met or exceeded the federal government’s threshold to require an audit.
… CONTINUE READING →
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!
… CONTINUE READING →
