Brunswick City Schools honored for fiscal excellence

BRUNSWICK, Ohio — The Brunswick City School District is one of only 6 percent of publicly audited organizations to earn an Ohio Auditor of State Award for fiscal year 2020.

The award was presented at the April 19 Brunswick Board of Education meeting by Jake Altman, regional liaison for Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber’s office.

Altman, himself a Brunswick High School alumnus, said public organizations such as school districts earn the award by having a “clean audit” and meeting criteria such as timely filing of financial reports with the state auditor; having no findings for recovery, material citations, material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, Uniform Guidance findings, or questioned costs on their audit; and any “other financial or other concerns.”

“Brunswick City School District has a proud tradition of fiscal responsibility and strategic spending, earning this award in 2013, 2016 and now most recently in 2020,” said district Treasurer Mark Pepera.

“The award continues to demonstrate to our community stakeholders the emphasis we place on not only being fiscally responsible, but transparent.”

Pepera said he was “extremely proud” to hear that the district had once again earned the award.

“I am hopeful that the community sees that we continue to be fully accountable to our taxpayers,” Pepera said. “To receive an award like this, it really is a district award and something that the community should be proud of.”

Pepera also presented the district’s most recent financial report at the April 19 meeting.

“As far as our overall financials are concerned, we are on target with our (previous) projections,” Pepera said. “And obviously, we are tracking what federal money we are entitled to in order to make every dollar we have work for us.”

But from a forecasted budget standpoint, Pepera said, the district’s expected $3 million operating deficit by 2023 has not changed. The district has a 5.9-mill emergency operating levy on the May 4 ballot.

Safety town director named

Cheryl Brown was approved as the school district’s 2021 Safety Town director at a rate of $25 per hour, not to exceed 170 hours and effective retroactively to March 30 through June 25.

School board President Richard Nowak abstained from voting, since Brown is his daughter.

Superintendent Michael Mayell commended Brown’s work over the past several years that the district has overseen the Safety Town program.

“We are unique in that, in most cases, these programs are run by (local) police agencies,” Mayell said.

He said the district offers the Safety Town program because of its value to the community, but also continues to have discussions with area police departments about taking over the program.

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