Auditor gives Burlington schools an unqualified opinion; general fund balance falls as ESSER winds down

Auditors presented the Burlington Community School District’s 2025 financial audit and the board accepted the report on March 9.

Greg Reynolds summarized key figures from the FY2025 audit: combined district revenues were $63,468,000 (a 1.97% decrease from the previous year), combined expenses $60,880,000 (a 0.45% increase), and the general fund balance decreased by about 50% to $4,834,000. Reynolds attributed much of the revenue decline to a 39% reduction in federal funds as ESSER dollars ended and to prior property‑tax assessment/collection issues that negatively affected receipts.

The audit included new GASB reporting for accrued liabilities such as unpaid sick leave and noted changes to the district health insurance arrangements. Reynolds said the auditors issued an unqualified (clean) opinion and made no audit recommendations this year.

Board members discussed enrollment trends — certified enrollment fell by about 115 students in 2025 and the district has averaged a loss of about 70 students per year over five years — and the fiscal pressure that low enrollment, modest state aid increases and rising personnel costs can create. Reynolds noted that about 75% of expenditures are salaries and benefits and that supplemental state aid for FY2026 was set at 2.5%.

The board moved to accept and file the audit report so it could be submitted to state authorities; the motion passed.