Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to review the School’s fingerprinting practices for the period July 1, 2014 through March 31, 2016.

Background

The Evergreen Charter School is a public school financed by local, State and federal resources that is not under the control of the local school board. The School, which is located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, is governed by an eight-member Board of Trustees. Budgeted appropriations for the 2015-16 fiscal year totaled approximately $5.7 million.

Key Findings

• School officials allowed employees to be hired and have contact with students prior to receiving fingerprint clearances and allowed independent contractors to have contact with students without first verifying they held a valid clearance.
• The Board has not established a fingerprinting policy.

Key Recommendations

• Discontinue the practice of allowing new employees or independent contractors to provide services to students prior to obtaining or confirming fingerprint clearance.
• Establish a fingerprinting policy including procedures for new employees, emergency and conditional hires and independent contractors