School board reviews, approves external audit

The Monroe-Woodbury Central School District’s external audit report was analyzed and accepted during the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

“Audits are a lot of work to get ready for,” Assistant Superintendent for Business and Management Services Patrick Cahill said. “It’s sort of an invasive process. You’re looking back at everything you’ve done in the past year ... I think we were well organized and I think the audit went very smoothly.”

The audit, which covers the fiscal year ending Jun. 30, 2025, was consulted by accounting firm PKF O’Connor Davies. During the meeting, Scott Oling, a partner at the firm, provided a breakdown of the district’s general fund, which he explained is the portion of the budget that residents vote on each year for the district’s plan of operation for the following year.

Oling said the district brought in a total of $233.9 million in revenue, exceeding the budget estimate by $11.3 million. While going through how much the district raised in revenues, Oling highlighted the levy of property taxes and state aid, noting that they’re the two primary drivers of revenue.

Between real property taxes and New York State’s School Tax Relief (STAR) program, the district generated $131.1 million in property taxes, a 1.8% increase from the previous year. Oling said the district remained within the property tax limits of its levy adjustment. He added that the district also received $4.8 million more in state aid than it had originally budgeted for.

In addition, Oling went over how the district spent its budget, which totaled $218.2 million dollars. He explained that $114.8 million of expenditures came from instruction expenses, including teachers salaries, classroom supplies and special education programs, while $53.3 million went towards employee benefits, such as pension and health benefits. Oling noted that health insurance costs rose by $1.5 million in comparison to last year, and there were increases to pension costs as well.

At the end of his presentation, Oling explained that the district had an operating surplus of $15.8 million. But after transferring $21.7 million to fund the district’s capital projects, the total fund balance dropped from $60.3 million to $54 million - a total of $5.9 million.

Capital project

During the meeting the board approved a resolution accepting construction management firm Polombo Group’s bid recommendations for phase two of the district’s capital project. The total construction costs for all six contracts of phase two adds up to $20.4 million.

Cahill said the second phase will mostly focus on Pine Tree Elementary’s roof replacement, HVAC upgrades and brick repointing in the exterior walls. Construction will begin starting this spring and summer.

Cahill added that phase two will also include the reconstruction of the tennis courts that will begin in December and end by June 30. The reconstruction will add two new courts and lighting. The girls softball field will also have new lighting.

Community feedback

After sending out a community survey on the district’s distraction-free Yondr program for cellphones, Assistant Superintendent for Compliance and Information Systems Dr. Bhargav Vyas gave a brief overview of the feedback received from students, parents and staff.

Vyas said many students and parents reported that the absence of phones has led to “less pressure and increased face-to-face time, fostering a more conducive learning environment.” He added that many students and parents also expressed safety concerns about phones being inaccessible during an emergency.

Additionally, Vyas said teachers and staff noticed a decrease in distractions caused by phones, watches and earbuds. He said the next step is to share the survey findings to all the administrators, teachers, parents, and middle school and high school students.

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 19 at Pine Tree Elementary School, located at 156 Pine Tree Road in Monroe at 5 p.m. with a work session at 6 p.m.