TransparencyOversight & ethics enforcement

North Dakota auditor's review of Williston Basin schools finds unreconciled cash gaps and $2.6 million in unrecorded revenue

Confidence: Confirmed · 2 sourcesWilliston · Oct 13, 2026

Subject of this story

Williston Basin Public School District No. 7

Also named

Oversight

North Dakota State Auditor's Office

What happened

On July 8, 2026 the North Dakota State Auditor's office released an audit of Williston Basin Public School District No. 7 covering July 2022 through June 2024 and identifying 14 issues. The auditor reports the district did not reconcile several monthly bank statements, and when it did the ledger and bank balances differed by more than $6 million in 2023 and more than $400,000 in 2024. It also found more than $2.6 million in grants and property-tax revenue never recorded on the ledger, missing records for Title I and ESSER grants, and an unexplained decrease of almost $1.9 million in the 2023 general fund balance. The board vice president said the district has since changed leadership and is making corrections.

Sources (2)

Audit Identifies 14 Issues at Williston Basin Public School District No. 7In 2023, the differences added up to more than $6 million, and in 2024, the differences totaled more than $400,000.

KFYR-TVFailing to record over $2.6 million in property tax revenue and in state and federal grants,

Response

Williston Basin Public School District No. 7

Statement given

Contacted and responded — exact wording not on record.

What happened next (0)

No outcome recorded yet.

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