Schools

Originally published October 2, 2024

Updated October 4, 2024

Washington colleges and universities accept nearly all the college-level credits students earn in high school – if the students follow through on a crucial step in the transfer process, according to a report released today by the Office of the Washington State Auditor.

The Marysville School District’s ability to keep operating is in doubt, based on its declining financial condition, according to an audit by the Office of the Washington State Auditor.

The district serves about 9,700 students, and its finances have eroded rapidly over the past year. Auditors found the district’s current financial position “raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.”

Like most states, Washington reports shortages of qualified special education staff. Without properly trained staff, school districts struggle to provide eligible students with important services like lessons to develop study skills, speech or physical therapy, behavior management and vocational education.

The Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) is hosting its annual conference this week in Tacoma and SAO representatives will be there, sharing the latest news on financial reporting and auditing issues specifically for schools and school districts.

As a bonus, we’ve created a special-edition Audit Connection newsletter filled with articles and information designed to help school business officials throughout Washington state.

Whether you're a new school official looking to learn all you can, or a seasoned veteran just interested in a refresher or two, chances are we have some resources you can use. Here's a list of linked articles, tools and checklists that have proven quite useful over the years. As always, if you have questions or need more information, contact our Center for Government Innovation at Center@sao.wa.gov. 

Amid the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Washington school districts developed new approaches to education that should be explored more, according to a new performance audit by the Office of the Washington State Auditor.

Beginning in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of public schools and a rapid shift to online education across the nation. While the change was a major disruption for students, parents and educators, it also allowed school districts to innovate as they navigated the pandemic.

Originally published August 23, 2023

This article was originally published in the special issue of the Digital Audit Connection for the 2023 Washington Association of School Business Officials conference. Read the full issue here.

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.

As is our custom, we've created an Audit Connection newsletter designed just for schools and school districts. Those at the conference should stop by SAO's booth for a hard copy. We've also included it here as an interactive issue and downloadable PDF for easy digital reference. See the last page of the PDF for printing instructions.