Finding ref number: 2022-001 Finding caption: The District did not have adequate internal controls for ensuring compliance with allowable activities and costs and restricted purpose requirements. Name, address, and telephone of District contact person: Sylvia Bazan, Business Manager 212 W. 3rd Str...
Finding ref number: 2022-001 Finding caption: The District did not have adequate internal controls for ensuring compliance with allowable activities and costs and restricted purpose requirements. Name, address, and telephone of District contact person: Sylvia Bazan, Business Manager 212 W. 3rd Street Wapato, WA 98951 (509) 877-4181 Corrective action the auditee plans to take in response to the finding: (If the auditee does not concur with the finding, the auditee must list the reasons for disagreement). During the COVID -19 pandemic, the District applied for ECF funding for hotspots and chrome books for our students. The Wapato School District was not a 1 to 1 District in regards to devices, but we had to pivot quickly to ensure our students had a device and connectivity. This would ensure we could provide instruction during remote learning and school closures during the pandemic. The District provided a survey to all students/parents seeking information regarding connectivity and devices. The survey results showed many of our students did not have adequate connectivity or a device to stream videos, which is needed for remote instruction. Also, the District did not receive responses from all families as they did not have connectivity to do so. The District used its library check out system to issue Chromebook and hot spots to students. The process was for students who needed a device to communicate this to their school building, then they would be directed to the library to obtain a device. The student?s requests were an unmet need. Although the student/parent did not sign a form to document unmet need, the District felt the request for a device was sufficient. As for the per location and per user limitation, the District?s library system was used to provide reports during the audit process, but it was determined the reports were not run at the time of reimbursement. The Wapato School District is a District with over 90% poverty level, the District?s priority was to ensure students were provided devices for instruction and connectivity during the pandemic. The District will strengthen its controls over documenting unmet need for students as well as maintaining reports that show per location/ per user limits at the time ECF funding is requested. Our IT department has started to implement a formal process, which includes a written application for our student/family to submit prior to receiving a device. They are also working on written instructions for the deployment of devices and documentation to be obtained. These instructions will be provided to all school buildings. Anticipated date to complete the corrective action: June 1, 2023