During December’s Churchill County school board meeting, the Board of Trustees heard and approved the audit report from Comptroller Christi Fielding and CPA Kelli Jones-Mesko of Hinton Burdick. This firm performed the yearly audit.
Hinton Burdick has issued a clean opinion on the Financial Statement for year-end June 30, 2023. In their report on the internal controls over financial reporting and compliance during FY2023, Hinton Burdick found significant deficiencies in the segregation of duties with a lack of proper controls over recording. Fielding said considerable turnover in the business office during the year resulted in the findings.
rustee Kathryn Whitaker asked about the corrective action plan that will be implemented and what that time frame would be. “It says there will be a secondary review and segregation of duties as soon as we are ‘appropriately staffed and trained,’ where are we with that?”
Fielding responded that her office is now fully staffed and in training and cross-training. “We have just started cross-training, and then staff can proof. Right now, I’m doing all of it, which is not ideal, but there is not anything else that can be done with only two people.” She expects the staff to be fully trained in six to eight months.
During the 2022 audit, Hinton Burdick found material weaknesses in the district’s bank reconciliations, but those have been resolved and removed.
Capital Asset activity for FY2023 included the CCHS track repair at $292,000, Northside’s chain link fence installation costing $85,000, CCHS security camera installation at $77,000, and purchasing two new buses costing $321,000.
The board also received written reports regarding human resources from the high school student representative, the assistant superintendent, and school principals. During the consent agenda, board members approved filling eight positions, leaving 76 openings still vacant throughout the district, including an English teacher at the high school, three second-grade teachers, and six bus drivers.
Annette Cooper, Human Resource Manager, reported on her extensive and ongoing activities to fill positions, including attending a Human Capital Leadership Summit where she was able to network with smaller school districts experiencing the same labor shortages and exchange ideas on recruiting and keeping employees. She said career fair season is approaching, and work has begun on the 2024-25 school year staffing needs.
Superintendent Derild Parsons and Maintenance Supervisor Dustin Drinkut provided an update to the board-approved Capital Improvement Plan, with the addition of a sound system for the high school gym being included as funds become available. Other projects presented and approved include new radios and base station for the transportation department, interior and exterior paint at the middle school, updated weightlifting equipment, security fencing, access points, and security camera additions, all at the high school.
Trustees also approved the sale of 414 Discovery Drive, the house being built this year by the construction class at the high school, for a minimum price of $365,000. The district has requested local realtors to list the property, and Josh Berney of Berney Realty received one offer. The Board approved the listing of the house by Berney.
Athletic Director Joe Wood presented the fall sports survey report, saying the survey was sent to 260 athletes and 389 parents. Results were mostly positive, according to Wood, who said that concerns revolved around communication. Trustees asked that the winter survey results be designated by sport.
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