The school district fiscal year shall begin July 1 and end June 30 each year. The budget shall state the expenditures for the fiscal year, and it shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to operate the education program within the budget.

It shall be the responsibility of the board to ensure the budget is managed effectively.

Approved:  7-1-92     
Reviewed:  10-09-95, 11-09-99, 11-12-02, 12-12-05, 01-15-09, 5-14-18 
Revised: 9-13-22                                                       

Each year at its annual meeting, the board shall designate by resolution the name and location of the Iowa located financial depository institution or institutions to serve as the official school district depository or depositories.  The board will also designate the maximum amount which may be kept on deposit in each bank.  This amount will be designated the first time a new depository is identified, and will be reviewed at least once every five (5) years or when an increase or additional depository is needed. The amount stated in the resolution must be for all depositories and include all of the school district's funds.

It shall be the responsibility of the board secretary to include the resolution in the minutes of the meeting.

Approved:  7- 01-92

Reviewed:  10-09-95, 11-09-99, 11-12-02, 12-12-05, 01-15-09, 5-14-18

Revised: 9-13-22, 07-17-24

When the necessity for a fund has ceased to exist, the balance may be transferred to another fund or account by resolution of the board.  School district monies received without a designated purpose may be transferred in this manner.  School District monies received for a specific purpose or upon vote of the people may only be transferred, by board resolution when the purpose for which the monies were received has been completed.  Voter approval is required to transfer monies to the general fund from the capital projects fund and debt service fund.

If all requirements for district use of funds under the Preschool Foundation Aid, Professional Development Supplement, Home School Assistance Program, Teacher Leadership Supplement or any discontinued fund teacher  have been met and funds remain unexpended and unobligated at the end of the fiscal year, the district may transfer all or a portion of remaining funds by passage of a board resolution into the district’s flexibility account in accordance with law.  Before the expenditure of amounts in the flexibility account, the district shall publish notice of the time, date, and place of a public hearing on the proposed resolution approving said expenditures. The board must find and certify that the statutory requirements of each original source of funds have been met before adopting the resolution approving the expenditures. The district will present a copy of the signed board resolution to the Department of Education.

The District may transfer by board resolution from the general fund to the student activity fund an amount needed to purchase or refurbish protective and safety equipment required for any extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition sponsored or administered by the Iowa High School Athletic Association of Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

If the before and after school program exceeds the amount necessary to operate the program, the excess amount may, following a public hearing, be transferred by resolution of the board of directors of the school corporation for deposit in the general fund of the school corporation to be used for school district general fund purposes. The district will present a copy of the signed board resolution to the Department of Education.

Beginning in FY 2024, unexpended and unobligated dollars that remain at the end of a fiscal year in addition to ongoing revenues may be transferred to the Teacher Salary Supplement (TSS) program from Professional Development Supplement (PDS), Talented and Gifted (TAG), and Teacher Leadership Supplement (TLS) without board action.

The district may choose to request approval from the School Budget Review Committee to transfer funds to make a program whole, prior to its elimination. 

Temporary transfers (loans) of funds are permitted between funds but must be repaid to the originating fund, with interest, by Oct. 1 following the end of the fiscal year. 

It shall be the responsibility of the board secretary to make recommendations to the board regarding transfers and to provide supporting evidence for the transfer.

Approved:  7-1-92

Reviewed:  11-09-99, 11-12-02, 12-12-05, 01-15-09, 06-11-12, 5-14-18

Revised: 9-13-22, 07-17-24  

 701.4

ACCOUNTING PRACTICES

School district accounting practices will follow state and federal laws and regulations, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and the uniform financial accounting system provided by the Iowa Department of Education.  As advised by the school district’s auditor, determination of liabilities and assets, prioritization of expenditures of governmental funds, and provisions for accounting disclosures shall be made in accordance with governmental accounting standards.

Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 54 identifies the order of spending unrestricted resources applying the highest level of classification of fund balance - restricted, committed, assigned, and unassigned - while honoring constraints on the specific purposes for which amounts in those fund balances can be spent.  A formal board action is required to establish, modify, and/or rescind a committed fund balance.  The resolution will state the exact dollar amount.  In the event the board chooses to make changes or rescind the committed fund balance, formal board action is required.

The Board authorizes the business manager to assign amounts to a specific purpose in compliance with GASB 54.  An assigned fund balance should also be reported in the order of spending unrestricted resources, but is not restricted or committed.  

Fund Balance Reporting

Financial reporting for the balances in the District’s governmental funds is based on Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement 54, Fund Balance Reporting and Governmental Fund Types Definitions.  Fund balance refers to the difference between assets and liabilities in the governmental funds balance sheets.  GASB 54 established a hierarchy that is based on “the extent to which the government is bound to honor constraints on the specific purpose for which the amounts in those funds can be spent.”

The governmental funds can have up to five fund balance classifications.  The classifications are defined below from most to least restrictive.

Nonspendable Fund Balance includes amounts that cannot be spent because they are either not in spendable form, or legally or contractually required to be maintained intact.  This includes items not expected to be converted to cash, including inventories and prepaid expenses.  It may also include other property acquired for resale and the principal of a permanent fund.

Restricted Fund Balance should be reported when constraints placed on the use of resources are either externally imposed by creditors, grantors, contributors, or law or regulations of other governments; or imposed by law through constitutional provisions or enabling legislation.  This includes “categorical balances.”

Committed Fund Balance reflects specific purposes pursuant to constraints imposed by formal action of the board. Such constraints can only be removed or changed by board action.

Assigned Fund Balance reflects amounts that are constrained by the government’s intent to be used for specific purposes but meet neither the restricted nor committed forms of constraint.  Unless the amount is negative, the assigned fund balance is the residual classification for the governmental funds other than the general fund.  If the amount is negative, then the residual amount is shown as unassigned.

Unassigned Fund Balance is the residual classification for the general fund only.  As noted above, if a negative residual amount exists in other governmental funds then the amount is reported as unassigned.

 It is the responsibility of the superintendent to make recommendations to the board regarding fund balance designations.   

Approved:  10-10-11  Reviewed:  5-14-18 Revised:  9-13-22, 07-17-24

FISCAL MANAGEMENT 

The Board recognizes its fiduciary responsibility to oversee the management of school district funds in keeping with the school district vision, mission and goals. To achieve this purpose, the board may engage in learning about the financial needs, operations and requirements of the district as appropriate for the board’s understanding of the district’s financial position. The Board also commits to engaging in annual financial goal setting for the district based upon measurable data and projections for the district. 

After the fiscal year has closed, the Superintendent or their designee will provide to the Board concise, timely, well organized financial data. The Board will exercise its oversight responsibilities by reviewing relevant PK-12 public education sector indicators to understand the financial trends of the district. 

The board will establish and review financial goals annually. The District will measure whether these goals were obtained as of June 30, but only after completion of the Certified Annual Report due September 15th each year. 

Providing the best possible educational experience for all students and meeting federal, state, and local academic goals for each student requires maximizing General Fund resources for use in the instructional program. The board may request from the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) additional modified spending authority (MSA) where it may be available for items such as: 

● Special education deficit balances 

● Advances to support increasing student enrollment 

● Supports for students identified as English Learners 

● At risk / dropout prevention programming 

● Initial staffing associated with opening new buildings or programs 

● Any other lawful purpose 

Any award of modified supplement amount will be levied as a cash reserve based on the recommendation of the superintendent/designee and approved by the Board of Education in keeping with the fiscal management performance measures provided for in district policy. 

Approved : 11-15-23 Reviewed: Revised: