Special Reports

School districts’ financial challenges are not the result of inaccurate student enrollment projections, according to a new report from the Office of the Washington State Auditor. 

Several public school districts are experiencing financial distress, and student enrollment has declined statewide. Legislators asked the State Auditor’s Office to determine whether districts’ financial challenges were linked to faulty projections of future student enrollment.  

Technology is critical to providing public services, and audits from the State Auditor’s Office have become essential elements in overall government cybersecurity in the Evergreen state. Our Office developed a short overview of our work in cybersecurity in fiscal year 2026. 

The State Auditor’s Office invites you to take an at-a-glance look at our work and activities during fiscal year 2025 in this digitally accessible PDF (downloadable PDF also available).

The Office of the Washington State Auditor is conducting new “police training and certification audits” to determine if law enforcement agencies fully comply with officer conduct reporting requirements.  

The Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) is a legislatively mandated report published annually focusing on the state’s financial position covering revenues, expenses, financial trends and more. While the actual report is complex and lengthy, we’ve prepared a user-friendly infographic summary to make this important information about how Washington used public funds accessible to as many people as possible.

The Washington Finance Officers Association annual conference is back in Yakima this year, and the State Auditor's Office couldn’t be more excited! We’ve been waiting all summer for this, and with three preconference trainings and 15 sessions, we have a lot in store for this year’s conference. 

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.