Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to evaluate the District’s financial condition for the period July 1, 2014 through February 29, 2016.

Background

The West Hempstead Union Free School District is located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County. The District, which operates five schools with approximately 2,120 students, is governed by a seven-member Board of Education. Budgeted appropriations for the 2015-16 fiscal year totaled approximately $59.5 million.

Key Findings

• District officials are in the process of developing multiyear long-term plans.
• Without long-term financial plans to reduce expenditures or raise additional revenues, the District’s fund balance will continue to decline.

Key Recommendations

• Continue to develop multiyear long-term financial plans, including projecting funding levels and use of reserve funds and update these plans periodically.
• Explore and pursue opportunities to reduce expenditures or raise additional revenues to avoid overreliance on fund balance.