Robstown ISD misused federal money between 2002 and 2006, audit finds By Rhiannon Meyers
Originally published 07:13 p.m., June 2, 2011
Updated 05:22 a.m., June 3, 2011
ROBSTOWN — Robstown Independent School District misused federal dollars on pizza and movie theater trips, and failed to document how purchases of computers and calculators solely benefitted migrant children the grant was aimed at helping, a state audit found.
The state has questioned the district's use of $1.27 million in federal grant money between July 2002 and June 2006, according to a Texas Education Agency audit provided by the district.
Robstown Superintendent Alfonso Obregon, who was not employed by the district during the period under review, said he is awaiting a letter from the state to determine whether the district has to repay the money.
The district has a $7 million fund balance that could cover the cost, but officials likely would appeal the decision, he said.
District officials, in a written response to the state, did not dispute the auditors' findings and instead outlined how the district intended to prevent such problems in the future. The district said it is enhancing its record-keeping and will review procedures and seek training on allowable costs.
Obregon said there has been significant turnover in personnel since 2006 and no staff member has been disciplined because of the audit findings.
He said while he can't say whether the misuse of funding was intentional, he believes it may have been the result of carelessness or inexperience of former administrators.
The grant is designed to provide migratory children, who move from school to school sometimes following their migrant worker parents, with tutoring, language lessons, health services and counseling.
State auditors found Robstown ISD misspent funds on unapproved expenses, lacked an adequate record-keeping system to account for its spending, failed to show how its use of the federal grant money helped migratory children and continued spending after the grants ended.
According to the audit, the district:
n Spent money on field trips to movie theaters, Pizza Hut and the Fiesta Texas theme park that did not seem to advance the objectives of the migrant education program. The district spent money 15 times on costs that weren't allowed.
n Failed to keep good records on purchases for supplies, materials and services that would have supported their purchases. In one case, the district paid a consulting firm named Vamos $2,000, but the invoice didn't have the firm's logo, the auditors couldn't authenticate it and the district didn't provide a copy of the firm's contract.
n Paid caterer Joe Cotten's Barbecue thousands of dollars to feed dozens of parents on a migratory education advisory committee even though the grant restricts purchases to snacks or light refreshments, and says no more than 20 parents should serve on that committee.
n Failed to document properly that some purchases solely benefitted migrant children, including eye exams and eye glasses for at least three students not identified as migrants, staff training for all teachers and computers and calculators used by all students.
The auditors concluded that the district was at a high-risk of improperly using federal grant money and recommended additional inquiries into the district's use of federal grants.
