CHIMACUM — The Chimacum School District will return more than $78,000 to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction after the state auditor found that courses in career and technical education enrollment were overfunded due to a lack of internal controls.
“There were issues concerning one of the teachers in February 2015, and the former superintendent asked for the state auditor to look into it,” Superintendent Rick Thompson said.
Fours years examined
The audit examining four years ending in 2015, which was released Thursday by the state Auditor’s Office, said the district had received money in support of teachers who were not properly certified to teach career and technical education (CTE) courses.
Thompson said many of the problems identified “have already been cleared up.”
The CTE courses are taken as electives in the regular schedule and include topics such as food and digital photography.
“These courses give kids a good framework,” Thompson said.
“After a class, they have a skill that has the potential to turn into a career.”
Training provides exposure
One course does not guarantee a career, he added, but the training provides exposure to vocational opportunities and work experiences.
Past courses in horticulture — not under the present instructor — and materials science were challenge areas identified in the audit, Thompson said.
Thompson said 58 students are scheduled to participate during the upcoming school year.
The audit cited four areas for district improvement: to ensure that CTE courses are approved by Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) prior to counting for enrollment, that instructors have valid CTE certifications prior to counting for enrollment, that instructor endorsements align with the CTE courses taught prior to counting for enrollment and that the requirements for work-based learning are met prior to claiming funding.
“The district takes seriously its obligation to comply with all CTE enrollment requirements,” Thompson said in a statement.
“The district has taken steps to correct the deficiencies identified through the audit, including steps to ensure that staff members assigned to the CTE program have valid certification and endorsements.
“The district has also developed a corrective action plan which addresses, among other things, CTE instructor certification and endorsement requirements, the CTE course approval and reapproval process, appropriate work-based learning documentation, vocational FTE reporting and CTE program leadership and oversight.
“The district believes these steps will help ensure that it complies with the CTE enrollment requirements.”
Audit finding
The audit — which examined the years 2011 through 2015 — said the district received approximately $137,155 in enhanced CTE funding, of which $78,422 was determined to be unearned.
The audit also identified five CTE courses the district did not claim for funding that were eligible to receive funding.
Thompson said the school is expected to receive about $333,000 for the next school year. Five people will teach 12 courses.
These courses are limited in scope due to the district’s size, Thompson said, adding that larger districts are able to offer a wider range of courses.
IThe district CTE revenue will be reduced, and this reduction has been anticipated in the budget planning, he added.
To view the entire audit report, go to http://tinyurl.com/PDN-CTE.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
