Audit committee accepts MSAP audit, finds weaknesses in monitoring and financial oversight for Lighthouse project

The Sanchata Public School System Audit Committee on April 24 accepted an internal audit of the federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant that funds the Lighthouse STEAM initiative at AB Williams Elementary School, Hubert Middle School and Savannah High.

Internal auditor Shauna Chapman said the grant, awarded in fiscal 2021 and described in the audit as totaling $14,772,149, was the subject of reviews that identified weaknesses in performance monitoring, financial oversight and documentation tying professional development to grant objectives. “Several areas for improvement were identified in the program implementation, the financial oversight and the effectiveness of key processes supporting the grant objectives,” Chapman told the committee.

The audit said it reviewed the district’s US Department of Education annual performance report for the period April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, and found the report did not outline strategies to address barriers preventing achievement of program goals. Auditors sampled 42 invoices and reported that 24 of the sampled invoices were shipped to one of the magnet schools and 18 to the district administrative office;…