District replaced its outside finance firm; financial reports are paused until accounts are caught up

What happened

In February, the district's outside finance firm (Rural School Finance) ended its services, and the board began looking for a business manager. By July 15 the finance report said there would be "no financials until all accounts are caught up." The June 12 agenda also proposed naming a finance director, and the September 9 agenda proposed a contract with Abacus to support the accounting software. A state grant is paying for a financial assessment by Bellwether Consulting.

Why it matters to families

Boards need monthly financial reports to know whether the district can pay its bills. Pausing them means the board cannot track spending until the books are fixed.

The evidence

The February 25 minutes say Rural School Finance "has discontinued their services." The June 24 minutes say the district will use its CDE EASI grant to partner with Bellwether Consulting for financial assessment and planning. The July 15 minutes record the finance report note about no financials. The September 9 agenda lists approval of an Abacus contract and the September work session lists an Abacus presentation. The documents do not say how far behind the accounts are.

The source