Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School - Procurement and Dignity for All Students Act (2018M-271)

Issued Date
April 19, 2019

[read complete report - pdf]

Audit Objective

Determine whether School officials:

  • Used a competitive process to procure goods and services.
  • Ensured compliance with the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA).

Key Findings

School officials did not:

  • Establish adequate policies and procedures for credit cards resulting in the circumvention of purchasing policies and unnecessary waste.
  • Save approximately $4,700 by purchasing items from government contracts and using the School’s tax exempt status.
  • Fully comply with DASA requirements. While a code of conduct is posted on the School website, the code is not distributed annually and does not include provisions prohibiting discrimination, procedures for reporting violations or the Dignity Act Coordinator’s contact information.

Key Recommendations

  • Promote the proper use of credit cards by developing adequate policies and procedures.
  • Monitor purchases for cost savings opportunities through the use of State contracts and price comparisons.
  • Ensure compliance with all DASA requirements.

School officials generally agreed with our recommendations and indicated they planned to initiate corrective action.