Webster Area School Board approves audit; general fund variance about $5,445

The Webster Area School Board voted to approve the district audit after a presentation noting a small year-end variance.

"That we're only off by $5,445 on our general fund budget," the Chair said while walking through the final pages of the budget. The Chair told members to pay particular attention to pages 49 through 52 and said overall variances compared with final budget numbers tended to be in the 1% to 2% range and, when larger, favored the district.

The audit was described by the Chair as "a strong, very strong audit," and members approved the audit report by voice vote. The Chair said the board had budgeted conservatively in several areas — sometimes budgeting more than spent or budgeting to obtain less and gaining more in extracurricular accounts — and that the budget reflects efforts to optimize staff and services for students.

Why it matters: a small variance and an audit described as strong provide the board and community a basis to proceed with staffing and program decisions tied to the district's general fund. The review called out specific pages in the board packet where members could see the variance and summary line items.

The board did not adopt new budget policy in this session; the meeting moved on to several personnel motions after the audit vote.