The Warren County R-III School District received the highest rating possible on its annual audit as reported during the monthly school board meeting on Dec. 12.

Board members accepted the report shared by Cathy Kenny of  Daniel Jones and Associates of Arnold, the conductors of the audit. Kenny shared that R-III had been awarded an unmodified rating, with no feedback given for policy changes.

“I love a boring audit report,” said R-III Superintendent Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith. “It shows that we’re doing things right and everything works out.”

Daniel Jones and Associates performed their preliminary report in July and returned to finalize their findings in October, once federal funds closed on Sept. 30.

“They select certain criteria and make sure we’re doing everything we’re supposed to,” said District Finance Manager Shelley Kinder. “They look at things like having prior approval before spending and having proper controls in place.”

There are four possible ratings a district can receive, including qualified opinion, disclaimer opinion and adverse opinion. Kinder said the feedback provides indication of how the district’s funds are being managed. 

“It shows the taxpayers that we’re doing our due diligence handling funds for the district,” said Kinder.

This has been an important initiative for the district, which has strived to demonstrate transparency in its operation through both discussions and documentation.

“We put the documents out immediately so the public can view them and see that we’re trying to be as transparent as possible and earn their trust by doing so,” said Kinder.

The details of the audit can be viewed under the Dec. 12 board meeting notes on the school district’s website, www.warrencor3.org.