State Auditor Mike Foley released an audit letter Thursday criticizing Chase County Public School District for an improper diversion of nearly $125,000 in Child Nutrition Funds to buy two massive video score boards for the gymnasium.
Foley said the Board of the Chase County Public School District voted to divert $124,695 in child nutrition funds for the improper purchase of two massive (16 foot x 9 foot) LED video scoreboards installed in the school gymnasium. He said roughly 74% of the total cost of the scoreboards was improperly covered by school lunch money which include federal funds.
Foley noted that the Nebraska Department of Education suggested that the school district consider using its surplus school lunch money to raise the quality of food offerings to the students or procure needed cafeteria equipment and supplies. The audit team believes the school district could have been more upfront with NDE on how it intended to use the monies, as they had claimed the expenditure was for a digital menu board which could have been purchased for a thousand dollars or so.
The State Auditor letter notes that the students already have ready access to the school menu for every day of the month via a dedicated web site and students make their lunch menu selections early in the school day long before they pass through the gymnasium to enter the cafeteria.
A copy of the State Auditor letter to the Board of Chase County Schools can be found here.
