Audit says A+ program
fails to make the grade

By Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin

The state's A+ after-school care program for latchkey kids in grades kindergarten through six gets low marks from the state auditor.

In a report released yesterday as a follow-up on a 1996 audit, Auditor Marion Higa said the program Gov. Ben Cayetano created as lieutenant governor eight years ago is fraught with shortcomings and fails to restrict benefits only to eligible children.

Serving 22,500 students at 177 public schools, the program has trouble enforcing fiscal controls and has inefficient staffing.

Although the Department of Education improved oversight of program management, more needs to be done, the report adds.

The department's failure to establish clear lines of authority in the A+ program and a lack of formal disciplinary procedures have contributed to the department's inability to hold staff accountable for noncompliance with established policies, the report says.

Many noncompliance issues identified in the follow-up audit also were identified in the previous audit by the department's own internal auditor and by an independent accounting firm, the report says.

Inadequate screening practices may have resulted in as many as 2,700 ineligible students enrolled at a cost of $364,000, the report says.

Parents who provide unreliable employment and income data are part of the trouble, it adds. These parents are reported to cause problems when they apply for both A+ and reduced school lunch fees.

Staff shortcomings include hiring unqualified people, favoritism in hiring and poor recruiting practices in filling top positions, it says.

The state Board of Education and Department of Education acknowledge some of the criticism is valid, vowing they will continue to work for improvement.

The department has tightened control over some money transactions, but often, staff people ignore requirements and fees go uncollected, the report says.