Audit 376469

Condition: During our audit, we requested supporting documentation for the meal counts done by the Charter School and reported to MDE. We encountered the following: • The meals reported at the St. Paul school site did not agree to the numbers listed in the meal counts. • Meals appear to be under-reported in the months of December and January based on the support received. Criteria: Charter Schools are required to count meals at point-of-service at all school sites and claim them in CLiCS in the category of approval based on direct certification or a household application for educational benefits. The Charter School was unable provide supporting documentation to affirm that accurate meal counts at all school sites took place and in the proper manner as noted in the condition above. Cause: Unknown Recommendation: We recommend the Charter School devise a well-documented counting system to track meals daily and retain documentation for support. We also recommend a review of individual school site information for accuracy in future fiscal years. Management Response: STEP Academy staff members will ensure that meal counts are taking place daily, being documented accordingly, and being reported appropriately.