Jefferson Local: District receives prestigious state award

By Kevin Dye

Staff Writer

Jefferson Local Schools have received a prestigious state award, having been recognized for the excellent accounting of the district’s finances and resources.

The district has just received the Auditor of State Award from state auditor Dave Yost’s office. The Auditor of State Award is presented to local governments and school districts upon the completion of a financial audit and the award is given to those organizations that meet the criteria of a “clean” report.

The criteria to receive the award are: 1 — the entity must file timely financial reports with the Auditor of State’s office in accordance with GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), 2 — the audit report does not contain any findings for recovery, material citations, material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, Single Audit finding or questioned costs, the entity’s management letter contains no comments related to: ethics referrals, questioned costs less than $10,000, lack of timely report submission, reconciliation, failure to obtain a timely Single Audit, findings for recovery less than $100 and public meeting or public records.

Jefferson Local Schools was the only entity in Madison County and was among the 11 organizations in the state of Ohio to receive the Auditor of State Award for 2013.

Jefferson Local Schools Treasurer Jill Smith said she was glad to hear that the district had received the award and that it reflects the hard work of her department.

“The treasurer’s office does accept this award with great pride,” Smith said. “I am sure our employees feel we are being nitpicky when it comes to following procedures, but it truly is to protect not only the district, but themselves as well. I appreciate the staff in our office as they are very much appreciated for their attention to detail, hard work and dedication in all they do.”

Superintendent William Mullett also praised the treasurer’s office and said the recognition reflected the district’s standards for financial record keeping and their commitment to the community.

“It is with great pride that we accept the Auditor of State Award,” Mullett said. “This distinguished award is largely the result of excellent work, preparation and review by our treasurer’s department. Our policies and procedures are made very to clear to staff and are continuously reinforced by our attention to the details of those requirements. It allows for a well functioning system of accounting that is critically important to our operations and the commitment we have to our community for such excellence in service.”