District’s long-running record of clean audits continues

March 18, 2022 at 5:17 PM

EL CAJON – Independent auditors reviewing the financial oversight of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District have given top marks for the 18th year in a row to the district for its fiscal prudence.

The Governing Board received reports detailing the district audit, as well as independent reviews of the district’s Proposition V bond building fund, and the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges, for fiscal year 2020-21. East County voters approved Proposition V in 2012, enabling the district to make $398 million in major facilities upgrades across the two college campuses.   

“All reports have unmodified opinions, which is the best opinion we can have and there are no other findings for 2021,” Sahar Abushaban, Vice Chancellor for Business Services, told the Governing Board last month.

Clean, unmodified opinions are the finest that an auditor can issue. The auditor found no blemishes in internal control or compliance at the district. In addition to giving the district a clean bill of health for 2021, the general audit by the certified public accounting firm CWDL noted that the district had taken corrective measures to address two minor recordkeeping findings for 2020. 

John Dominguez, with CWDL, told the Governing Board that the district was in full compliance with all federal requirements associated with spending Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF). These funds have helped community college districts across the nation cover COVID-19 related costs and lost revenues.

“Kudos to the district, for an excellent job of implementing all of the new federal requirements,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez also noted that an expanded performance audit of the Proposition V construction bond program, authorized by the Board of Trustees, had “very, very positive results.” The expanded audit, which included more than a dozen additional procedures for analysis of the program, is supported by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District is believed to be among the first public agencies in San Diego County to adopt these expanded procedures.

“And so again, kudos to management for running that program efficiently and effectively, and also to the Board and the CBOC (Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee) for that commitment to have those expanded performance audits done on an annual basis,” Dominguez said.

Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Chancellor Lynn Neault praised the CBOC for their diligence in continuing to meet, along with their contributions to the audit at a time when the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has hampered similar work elsewhere.

“The positive results we’ve seen from the past year’s audits reflect our district’s commitment to transparency and accountability, and the students and greater public we serve should feel confident that we are careful stewards of their tax dollars,” Chancellor Neault said.   

The district’s two colleges, Grossmont College in El Cajon and Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, together serve about 24,000 students.