An aerial view of the Dysart Unified School District offices in Surprise. (Courtesy naturalpowerandenergy.com)

By Jennifer Jimenez, SPECIAL TO INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA

The Dysart Unified School District was required to undergo an annual single audit in order to determine compliance for the fiscal year 2016, as a result of expending $500,000 in federal funds. The district utilized the services of Heinfeld, Meech & Co., P.C. Certified Accountants to conduct the audit.

Upon completion of the audit, the district received a compliance rating of 95.85 percent, receiving a ‘yes’ rating on 254 of 265 on the Uniform System of Financial Records Compliance Questionnaire. Jack Eaton, Executive Director of Business Services, said he had the utmost confidence in the finance department and believes they excelled on this project.

"I believe in our district, anything above a 90 percent is an A and we received an A-plus," Mr. Eaton said.

Finance Director Marydel Speidell said the questionnaire as focusing on 20 items in specific areas, of which 11 areas received ‘no’ responses for compliance. The governing board did express concerns over the ‘no’ response in the area of attendance, to which Superintendent Dr. Gail Pletnick described as never recalling a time when attendance came back perfect within a district due to many factors.

One of which is having to report 180 time per year, as well as rule changes and staff turnover. Ms. Speidell as made reference to a supplies inventory area where a ‘no’ response was received.

"For example, in regards to the area of supplies inventory, the year-end list did not match the supporting documentation and was off by $.40," Ms. Speidell said. "Each question is based on either full compliance, otherwise it will receive a ‘no’ response."

Within the report is a list of the 11 areas in which the ‘no’ response was given and the reason why, as well as the action taken by the district in order to correct the issue. Property control, as well as expenditures and procurement were the other areas where corrections were made.

"This report does go above and beyond the minimum state requirements that our school district complies with and it provides a comprehensive and very detailed report of the districts financial condition," Ms. Speidell said.

The financial section of the report goes over the auditor’s opinion and the government wide notes that support it, including statistical sections and additional economical and demographical information.

"Those also serve a dual purpose to meet bond disclosures as well," Ms. Speidell said.

She said the purpose of this is to get an auditor opinion. They noted and issued a clean unmodified audit opinion on the district’s financials, which is the best opinion an entity can receive.

"They determined our financials are free of any materials of misrepresentation and they are prepared according to accounting principles," she said.

Last year, this same audit produced a rating of 96.67 percent with nine areas that received ‘no’ responses.