Merced County Office of Education Steven E. Gomes, Superintendent

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1 Merced County Office of Education Steven E. Gomes, Superintendent Equal Opportunity Employer TO: FROM: District Chief Business Official Ann Walsh, Director District Fiscal Services DATE: October 30, 2015 SUBJECT: ANNUAL AUDIT INFORMATION The Education Code section outlines the responsibilities of the California Department of Education, County Offices of Education and School Districts regarding audit exceptions identified by a district s independent auditor. Each county superintendent is responsible for reviewing the each district s audit findings (exceptions) related to attendance, inventory of equipment, internal control, miscellaneous items, teacher misassignments, school accountability report cards, and the use of instruction material program funds in order to determine whether the exceptions have been corrected or have an acceptable plan of correction. In accordance with the requirements stated above, our office has created the following materials necessary to satisfy these legislative requirements: Enclosed with this mailing: Audit Certification Due February 5, Independent Auditor Selection Form Due March 31 st, Audit Activity Reporting Calendar (for Audit Corrective Actions) To be forwarded to the districts on or before January 31, 2016: District specific Audit Findings & Recommendations Sample Certification of Corrective Action Form Due March 17, 2014 Audit Finding Corrective Action Form Due March 17, 2014 Should you have questions regarding the completion of the enclosed audit forms, please call Janet Riley at West 13 th Street Merced, California (209)

2 AUDIT CERTIFICATION FINANCIAL REPORT/AUDIT School District In accordance with Assembly Bill 3627, Chapter 1002, as it pertains to Education Code section , the Governing Board must review and accept the prior year's Financial Report/Audit, at a public meeting, on or before January 31st and THEREBY, as written verification of said review, the Governing Board reviewed and accepted on, 2016 the Annual Financial Report as of June 30, (Signature) District Superintendent (Date) Submit the Audit Certification Form by February 5, 2016 To Janet Riley, District Fiscal Services 632 West 13 th Street Merced CA 95340

3 Independent Auditor Selection Form In accordance with Education Code Section 41020, school districts must notify the County Superintendent of Schools of their selection for an independent audit firm. In the event the governing board of a school district has not selected an audit firm by April1, the County Office will arrange for a firm to provide audit services. DISTRICT: NAME OF AUDITOR: ADDRESS: AUDIT FEE: DISTRICT SIGNATURE: Submit the Independent Auditor Selection Form by March 31, 2016 To Janet Riley, District Fiscal Services 632 West 13 th Street Merced CA 95340

4 AUDIT ACTIVITY REPORTING CALENDAR FY for Annual Audit Resolution DATE RESPONSIBILITY ACTIVITY November 30 County Office On or before this date, the County Office will provide to the districts the Audit Certification Form; Audit Activity Reporting Calendar; and the Independent Auditor Selection Form. December 15 Auditor Audit reports shall be submitted to the State Controller, County Office of Education and the districts. January 31 District On or before this date, at a public meeting, the district board shall review and accept the annual audit. [EC ] January 31 County Office The County Office shall provide to the districts the Certification of Corrective Action and specific Audit Finding Corrective Action forms, which must be adopted by the Board and returned to the County Office by March 15. February 5 District On or before this date, school districts shall submit to the County Office the Audit Certification form. March 15 District On or before this date, school districts shall submit to the County Office the Certification of Corrective Action and specific Audit Finding Corrective Action forms adopted by their Governing Board. March 31 District On or before this date, school districts shall submit to the County Office the Independent Auditor Selection Form for the current fiscal year. April 15 County Office The County Office will respond in writing to the districts regarding the adequacy of the Certification of Corrective Action identifying the areas that require further explanation, corrective action or a plan for correction. April 30 District Any additional information required of the school district must be submitted to the County Office by this date. May 1 County Office The County Office shall provide for an audit contract for any district that has not secured an auditor for the current fiscal year /30/15-1-

5 AUDIT ACTIVITY REPORTING CALENDAR FY for Annual Audit Resolution DATE RESPONSIBILITY ACTIVITY May 15 County Office The County Office shall certify to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) that all district audits were reviewed and corrections were made, except as noted, or an acceptable plan was submitted. In addition, the county superintendent shall identify any attendance-related audit exception that had a fiscal impact on State funds and require the school district to submit the appropriate forms for processing by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Auditors SPI In accordance with EC41020(1), the independent audit firm will certify to the County Office regarding the status of the Certification of Corrective Action. In accordance with EC41020(m), the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) shall be responsible for assuring that school districts have either corrected or developed a plan of correction for any or all of the following: All federal and state compliance audit exceptions identified in the audit. Any exceptions that the county superintendent certifies as of May 15 have not been corrected. Any repeat audit exceptions that are not assigned to a county superintendent to correct. State Controller In accordance with EC41020(n), the State Controller annually shall select a sampling of county superintendents of schools and perform a follow-up of the audit resolution process of those county superintendents of schools and report the results of that follow-up to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the county superintendents of schools that were reviewed /30/15-2-