EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – The school district remains “healthy” financially, Brad Steele said Dec. 13 at the Board of Education meeting at Support Services Center.

A partner with the Richmond-based Westbrook and Co. accounting firm, Steele gave the assessment while presenting district audit results. Although the district’s total fund balances had dipped from 2020, “your reserve ratio is still in pretty good shape,” he said.

A PowerPoint slide charting the district’s trending of fund balances and reserve ratio from 2017 to 2021 showed fund increases from 2017 to 2020, but a drop from $9.8 million in 2020 to $8.5 million this year. Reserve ratios increased from 2017 to 2020, but fell from 33.5% in 2020 to 27.89% this year. Remaining balances still exceed expectations.

“We like to see all our schools above 20 and you guys are there,” Steele said.

Other topics included the district’s conformity to state requirements. Westbrook found some “immaterial instances of noncompliance,” he said.

“That means there were some changes to attendance that had to happen, but all that’s been updated and taken care of – from a DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) standpoint. … The key word there is ‘immaterial,’” Steele said.