Auditors from the accounting firm Plante & Moran again praised the financial performance of Assistant Superintendent Pat Velie and her administrative team.

Wayland Union Schools ended the fiscal year June 30 with $1.5 million more in revenue than expenditures and its 16 percent fund balance is above the state average.

The auditors gave the district an unmodified opinion, which the highest rating.

Board Trustee Becky Hohnke told Velie, “I love your drive to save us money. And please pass that along to your team.”

Board Treasurer Toni Ordway added, “It’s wonderful to see it (the budget audit) go so smoothly.”

Plante & Moran representatives said Wayland Union Schools has received $1.7 million from the federal government in aid to combat financial shortfalls caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Supt. Dr. Christina Hinds said the district earlier this month received its first state aid check of $8,700 per pupil, an increase over a year ago, but the final audit of the schools’ current population has not yet been approved.

Hinds, in response to questions about course offerings, class sizes and current teacher-student ratios, said, “We’re trying to be the best we can be and attract some of the people who have left with our awesome programs… There will always be unbalancing in master scheduling.”