Staff Report

The Mehlville School District has received the best possible opinion on its audited financial statements for fiscal 2009.

Daniel Jones & Associates, certified public accountants, presented the district’s audit report on financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2009, to the Board of Education at its Nov. 19 regular meeting.

The board voted 6-0 to approve the report; Erin Weber was absent.

School districts are required to have audits performed every other year, but Mehlville has its financial statements audited annually.

Daniel Jones & Associates issued opinions on the district’s financial statements; budgetary process, attendance and transportation; and scheduled expenditures and federal awards, the firm’s Jamie Bahr told the board last week.

“For all three opinions we issued an unqualified opinion, which is the best opinion that we can give and that you can receive. So that’s a good opinion,” Bahr said.

She thanked Chief Financial Officer Noel Knobloch and his staff for their cooperation during the audit.

“Things went smoothly,” Bahr said. “Anything we asked for we received, and we appreciate your assistance.”

Superintendent Terry Noble later told the Call, “We’re always pleased to get what I call ‘clean audits’ where there are no significant findings of any kind. I’m pleased with the work our CFO and our accounting department does on a daily basis. They’re always well-prepared and as (Bahr) stated … very helpful with assisting the auditors so they can do their job well.”

In other business, the board voted unanimously to:

• Authorize additional short-term borrowing of up to $3 million by issuing tax-anticipation notes with Midwest BankCentre to help further alleviate a traditional, short-term lull in district tax revenues.

• Set the 2010-2011 full-day kindergarten fee at $2,200 per year. The fee increased by 10 percent for 2009-2010 but will not increase next year.