Washingtonville Central School District – Financial Condition (2017M-129)

Issued Date
September 29, 2017

Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to examine the District’s financial condition for the period July 1, 2015 through March 17, 2017.

Background

The Washingtonville Central School District is located in the Town of Blooming Grove and includes the Village of Washingtonville and part of the Towns of Cornwall, Hamptonburgh and New Windsor in Orange County. The District is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Education. Budgeted appropriations for the 2016-17 fiscal year totaled approximately $87 million.

Key Findings

  • The Board’s adopted budgets overestimated appropriations in the 2012-13 through 2015-16 fiscal years, and appropriated fund balance was not needed to fund the budget.
  • The District had significant operating surpluses which caused the fund balance to exceed the statutory maximum.

Key Recommendations

  • Adopt budgets that represent the District’s actual needs and discontinue the practice of adopting budgets that appropriate fund balance that will not be used to fund operations.
  • Develop a plan for the use of the excess fund balance in a manner that benefits the District.