Staff in D49 strive to make our district the best, and those in the finance department are no exception. This year the team received an unmodified audit report—a highly desired status they worked hard to earn.

"I'm so proud of our team, working diligently with the auditors to receive a clean audit with no findings,” Ron Sprinz, director of finance, said. “This was made even more outstanding with the fact we changed finance systems in the middle of the year, and we lost key individuals at the end of the last school year. It wasn't an easy process, but the dedication the finance team has for this district is incredible.”

So, what does it mean to receive an “unmodified audit report?”

• District 49’s reporting and internal controls met all standards of accounting and reporting practices.
• The audit firm evaluated D49’s compliance with multiple types of state, federal and grant funding, and found D49 was in compliance with 100% of those programs.
• The audit concluded with zero adverse findings. Any prior adverse findings related to segregation of duties on the financial team were corrected.

It is no coincidence that during the same timeframe our audit firm was finalizing their technical evaluation of our financial report, the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) evaluated our previous year and granted D49 the coveted Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting.

Congratulations to the finance and budget teams, former D49 Team Member Brett Ridgway and the staff who served us through June 2022, and all those who continue supporting and managing our financial operations.

These individuals are a fantastic example of teamwork and responsibility, and serve as evidence that our financial house is built on a firm foundation that earns the trust of our community.