School district receives clean audit

Siloam Springs School District received a clean audit report for the 2013-2014 school year, according to chief financial officer Terri Raskiewicz.

Raskiewicz presented the 25-page report from the Arkansas Joint Auditing Committee at the March 12 School Board meeting. Board members unanimously voted to accept the report.

There were no negative findings in the report, Raskiewicz said. Auditors did not find any deficiencies in internal control or instances of noncompliance for the school's general or federal funds.

Raskiewicz said the building-level administrators' hard work to keep finances in order made the clean audit report possible.

"I want to thank everyone in here," Raskiewicz said. "We couldn't have done it without them."

School Board president Brian Lamb noted that in years past audit findings have shown the school did not have enough staff for adequate segregation of financial duties. Even though the finding is not serious and is very common in Arkansas schools, Lamb said he was thankful it has been fixed for several years in a row.

In other business, board members voted to purchase a new school bus. They accepted the low bid of $87,545 from Summit Bus Sales for a 77-passenger International Bus. Two other bids were submitted, including a bid of $87,750 for a Blue Bird Bus from Central State Bus Sales and a bid of $87,833 for a Thomas Bus from Midwest Bus Sales.

Even though the bids were very close in price, transportation director Steve Avery recommended the International bus because it has a Cummins engine and is a good fit for the department.

Assistant superintendent Jody Wiggins said school officials went to the Bentonville School District and drove an International bus and feel very confident it is the bus they would like.

Wiggins said the district usually purchases between one and three buses each year. The cost of the bus will come out of next year's budget, he said.

Board members voted to hire 33 administrative staff members, including six principals and nine vice or assistant principals. The band director/music coordinator position and one of the two curriculum coordinator positions were left open. Band director Keith Rutledge and curriculum coordinator Connie Matchell announced their retirement earlier this year and their replacements have yet to be hired.