Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools issued clean audit

Prior Lake American

The Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools District has been issued a “clean audit” by CliftonLarsonAllen, an accounting and auditing firm in Minneapolis.

Audits are done to ensure districts’ compliance with state and federal requirements, internal and administrative controls and “accuracy of financial and student data, documents, statements and reports used in the calculating of state and federal aid and grant payments,” according to the Minnesota Department of Education website.

A clean audit report is the highest opinion an auditor can issue for school districts. The report was accepted by the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board on Monday.

The district also received a clean audit in 2017.

CliftonLarsonAllen representative Dennis Hoogeveen said more students open-enrolled into the district than enrolled with outside districts.

For the fiscal year ending on June 30, general fund revenues in 2018 were $92.3 million, and expenditures were $91.5 million. The fund balance at the beginning of the fiscal year was $15.5 million and grew to $16.3 million at the end of the year.

“Very, very good operating results over these past five years,” Hoogeveen said. “Those results don’t just happen. It takes a strong board to give the input and the guidance to the business office, but they’ve given you great information. You’ve come to have no surprises at the end of the year.”

Expenditures per student in 2018 were $13,383, an increase of about $400 from 2017. For comparison, schools last year in the seven-county metro area spent an average of $15,493 per student, and all districts in Minnesota spent an average of $14,756 per student.

Board Chair Rich Wolf said the audit shows that the district and the board are “wise stewards” of investments.