The results of an audit from the 2016-17 fiscal year ending June 30 yielded the highest possible rating for the Warren County R-III School District.An overview of the audit, which covers the district’s financial statements and accounting-related practices, was presented during the monthly board meeting on Dec. 14.R-III Chief Financial Officer Shelley Kinder reported that the district received an “unmodified opinion,” which is the best of three possible opinions that can be awarded.“It was a very good process,” said Kinder. “Getting an unmodified qualification on the audit is the best rating you can get. To also have no findings is an awesome attribute to the audit.An unmodified or “clean opinion,” indicates the firm has no reservations concerning the district’s financial practices or procedures. R-III received the same rating during its 2016 audit.“We’re always enhancing our internal controls and making sure there’s no fraudulent activity,” said Kinder.The audit revealed that the district had a decrease in net assets of $50,942, a 0.2 percent drop from 2016.General revenues accounted for $17,642,004 or about 47 percent of all revenue. The district had $37,087,888 in expenses, representing a $7,993,406 decrease from the previous fiscal year. That was approximately a 17 percent decrease in expenses.“We were pleased with the whole ordeal,” said Kinder. “They made it pretty much painless, even though they did a lot of investigations and offered a lot of suggestions and ways to do things a little bit better.”Kinder says major areas of focus right now are teacher salaries and retention. R-III is trying to remain competitive with surrounding districts while staying within its budget.Warren County R-III School District