0923 MPS - Flipbook - Page 2
Board of Education
Tom Tuttle
Maggie Cook
President
Vice President
The Mentor Board of
Education consists of
five citizens elected
by nonpartisan ballot,
each serving a fouryear term. It functions
as a policy-making
body according to the
Mary Bryner
Board Member
mandates of state
law and represents
the State of Ohio and
citizens of Mentor
Public Schools on all
matters and decisions
dealing with public
education and in some
matters concerning
services for non-public
Virginia
school students. The
Jeschelnig
Board Member
Board of Education
determines the
goals and priorities
of the school district
and authorizes the
appointment of the
superintendent,
treasurer, teachers
and other staff
members.
Annie Payne
Board Member
Craig Heath
Superintendent
2
welcome
We are proud to present this Annual
Financial Report for fiscal year 2023 to
our community. Now in its second release, this is a new annual report that
we are presenting to our community to
share where our resources come from,
how they are used and how this impacts
our taxpayers. Our goal is to publish this
annually to provide financial transparency in an understandable manner for
our community.
Every aspect of our school is supported and shaped by our strategic plan. Our
strategic plan supports our mission of
inspiring students today to reach their
potential tomorrow by ensuring a safe
learning environment, providing a balanced, high-quality education through
maximizing our resources and encouraging strong community partnerships.
Through our budgeting and forecasting,
we strive to support this mission while
maintaining fiscal prudence to help our
community achieve the best return on
its investment.
As you know, our team has been working diligently over the years to do more
with less as costs naturally continue to
go up, while our revenue essentially
stays flat. We have implemented major
cost-saving initiatives including reducing staff proportionately with student
enrollment, closing and selling school
buildings, redistricting, changing benefits plans for employees, cutting budgets,
pursuing alternative revenue sources, securing grant monies and more.
The financial information presented
in this report was prepared on the cash
basis of accounting, which differs from
the financial information prepared in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States. The information presented is
unaudited and prepared for informational purposes only. Annual audited
financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP can be obtained at
mentorschools.net under the Chief Financial Officer’s webpage.
Based on last year’s audit, Mentor
Schools earned recognition from Ohio
Auditor Keith Faber’s office for two different areas of business — and both
are acknowledgment of our high level
of transparency at the very top levels
awarded. First, we received the Auditor’s
M E N TO R P U B L I C S C H O O L S 2 0 2 3 C O M M U N I T Y F I N A N C I A L R E P O R T
Award with Distinction, in which we
were told our “exemplary reporting
serves as the standard for clean, accountable government, representing
the highest level of service to Ohioans.”
It is an honor to be recognized for our
important work of being good stewards
of our taxpayer dollars. Our Board of
Education, superintendent and I are
committed to transparent, honest and
accurate fiscal management of the community’s money being used to provide
educational opportunities for the children we serve each day. Our clean audit
report and this award are evidence of
our continued work toward maximizing
district resources.
The second award surrounds public records requests and sunshine laws,
where we earned a four-star StaRS rating, which is the “highest achievement
in open and transparent government.”
To receive this honor, the district must
go above and beyond what is required
by law by implementing additional best
practices. I am pleased with the team
effort among the treasurer’s office staff
and district employees to maintain the
high-level attention to detail and consistency necessary to achieve both of these
awards from the Ohio Auditor’s Office.
I hope you find this report to be transparent and informative. If you have
any questions, please feel free to contact me at wade@mentorschools.org
or at 440-974-5230.
Sincerely,
Bill Wade
Mentor Schools CFO/Treasurer
