Published: January 17, 2008 09:18 am         

District gets passing audit marks; interim settling in

By Libby Cluett
lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com

Kudos and praise were showered upon teachers, staff, community members, board members and even the district at Tuesday’s Mineral Wells ISD Board meeting.

Board members approved the 2006-07 annual independent financial audit after hearing a report presented by Karen Thompson of Crawford, Carter and Thompson.

Thompson informed the board that the district presented “fairly in all material respects as of Aug. 31.”

Interim Superintendent David Goodman noted, “We had no exceptions, which means they didn’t find any problems except the documentation of one federal program, which we took care of.”

“Basically it was a good, clean audit,” added Goodman.

He explained that by having a Texas Education Agency “exceptional rating” on the district’s Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, combined with the audit results, “shows we’re taking care of business and there is good accounting taking place.”

Although Thompson said she would like to see a larger increase in the fund balance (or reserves), she said it “is going up.”

Goodman said increasing reserves was the most important point from the audit. Regarding the recommendation for an increase in the fund balance he said, “We’d always like more, since tax dollars do not all come in at once, to have a contingency for anything that comes up.”

He cited such items like cash flow, payroll or any capital expenditures and preventative maintenance that could all potentially come at once.

“You always have needs when you have buildings as old as we have,” he added. “You always have to work in a responsible manner to meet those needs.”

The MWISD board also approved hiring Crawford, Carter and Thompson to perform the 2007-08 audit.

Also doling out praise were principals honoring each board member for their service during “School Board Appreciation Month.” Board members received plaques with their names.

In other business:

• Interim Superintendent David Goodman thanked MWISD staff and people in the community he has met over the past week.

In his first week, Goodman said he visited every campus, met with city officials and attended a retired teacher’s luncheon as well as visiting with MWISD department heads and supervisors.

From his school visits, Goodman said he was impressed with the types of programs and the breadth of experience in the district.

“I’m very pleased with the welcome, very pleased with the quality of things taking place for kids.”

• January’s teacher and support staff of the month went respectively to Travis Elementary’s Freida Sneed and Mineral Wells Junior High’s Theresa Lusk, who has worked in MWISD for 30 years in rolls ranging from bus driver and teaching assistant to working in three school libraries, helping to update them.

Also honored on Tuesday was December’s teacher of the month Kimmy Anderson.

• Mineral Wells Junior High Principal Jay Walsworth awarded Mineral Wells B&PT Inc. owners Robbie and Johnny Wharton and Texas Gas Service Company as the district’s January “Partners in Education.”

Walsworth explained that both companies donated funds to help send cheerleaders to a national competition they qualified for, but which was not in the school’s budget.

“It was a generous gesture for the kids without hesitation,” he said of the businesses which heard about the need and asked how they could help.