The Greene County School System Finance Department was presented the Award of Distinction for Excellent Financial Reporting for the seventh consecutive year by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts on Sept. 19 at the Greene County Board of Education monthly meeting.
The GDAA established this award to recognize excellence in financial reporting and controls. It encourages governmental organizations to go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and recognizes individual organizations that successfully achieve this goal.
GDAA Auditor Luke Edwards, who presented the award to GCSS Chief Financial Officer Connie Wilkes and Superintendent Dr. Chris Houston at Thursday night’s BOE meeting, said the Greene County School System is the only school district in Georgia to have won this award every year since it was established.
The award is presented to organizations that submit quality financial statements and supporting documentation promptly. To receive this award, the organization’s annual financial documentation must also be free of any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses, comply with all Transparency in Government Act requirements, and be given an unmodified audit opinion.
While presenting the award, Edwards shared that the GCSS Finance Department demonstrates best practices, such as meeting all reporting deadlines to the Georgia Department of Education and GDAA, having high-quality financial statements, and maintaining high-quality audit documentation.
He also noted that crucial district employees were readily available to auditors for questions when needed, and the GCSS received a clean audit opinion, with no significant deficiency or material weakness findings and few control deficiencies reported within the management letter.
“We are very honored and grateful to have received this award again for fiscal year 2023,” Wilkes said. “This award would not be possible without the entire staff’s hard work and dedication to the school system’s financial reporting. It is gratifying to be recognized for all of our hard work throughout the year.”