Badger InstituteBadger Institute
  • Home
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Federalism
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Subscribe for Updates

Get the latest news and updates from Badger Institute.

What's New

Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble

March 23, 2023

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
TRENDING:
  • Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble
  • Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband
  • The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling
  • If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility
  • Foreseeing the Future of Wisconsin’s Flat Tax
  • Wisconsin voters will be asked about welfare work requirements
  • A state without convictions
  • Why Wisconsin Needs a Flat Tax and Education Reform
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Federalism
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
DONATE
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
Home » Education » West Allis school district weaning itself from some federal money
Education

West Allis school district weaning itself from some federal money

By Dan BensonOctober 11, 2016
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest

“Our philosophy used to be procure (funding) and then figure out how to use (the money),” Director of Business Services Andy Chromy said.

After years of chasing federal grant money — and quite literally paying the price for not tracking it the way Washington wanted them to — West Allis-West Milwaukee School District officials are determined to no longer allow the lure of federal grants to steer spending decisions.

“Our philosophy used to be procure (funding) and then figure out how to use (the money),” Director of Business Services Andy Chromy said. “Now our plan is to develop our strategic plan and figure out what we want to accomplish and see if we can get funding to help out. We want to flip the process, use a totally different mindset.”

As a result, the district is cutting back on the number of after-school learning centers, from eight to five, because meeting the federal requirements for managing that many sites was too burdensome, Chromy said. Having fewer centers gives the district greater flexibility and still meets parents’ needs, he said.

The decision means the district is leaving $600,000 of federal money on the table.

The shift comes after state Department of Public Instruction auditors visited district offices in the spring after an annual audit of the district’s books found an array of problems with how the district managed and tracked its grant expenditures. The problems had mostly to do with the district not keeping records the way federal regulators required, leaving the district on the hook for paying back up to $3.5 million in federal grant money. However, DPI auditors found paperwork accounting for all but $209,000 of the spending.

“We felt very good that we didn’t have to pay back” the $3.5 million, Chromy said. “That would have been catastrophic.”

The district has an annual operating budget of about $123 million and received approximately $10.75 million in federal grant money in the 2014-’15 school year — the eighth most of any school district in the state. A look at the bookkeeping errors found in the audit offers a glimpse into the paperwork storm and regulatory hoops educators must negotiate when managing federal grant funds. Among the “errors” discovered by the audit:

  • $2,419,102 was charged for staff time spent on three separate federal programs, but no time sheets were kept by staff, as required.
  • $200,000 worth of textbooks were purchased for the 2015-’16 school year using 2014-’15 funds. Federal rules require that money acquired in one year must be spent that year.
  • The district failed to record an in-kind match by the school district of $156,000 required for a physical education program.
  • About $53,000 was incorrectly billed to Medicaid.
  • $31,000 worth of books were charged to a federal fund meant for retaining educators.
  • The district spent $5,884 less than required for buying books. District officials said they were trying to be frugal, but the penalty for not spending their allotment could mean reducing the next year’s amount.
  • A special education worker was paid $4,400 but was not properly licensed, which district officials said was due to a delay at the state level.
  • The district bought $3,300 in library equipment and charged it to a fund used for buying books.
  •  Another $2,200 was billed to the wrong grant program.

The district repaid $209,000 in unaccounted-for grant money.

 Dan Benson is 21st Century Federalism Project editor for the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (wpri.org).

Read related story: Analysis: Cash-strapped school districts burdened by federal grant regulations

News
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
Dan Benson

Related Posts

Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble

March 23, 2023

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023
Categories
Top Posts

Local pols filling old budget holes with massive COVID aid

December 8, 20221,452

This is not four years ago

November 10, 20221,287

A state without convictions

January 12, 2023645

Billions in federal spending in Wisconsin unaudited; results never measured

November 9, 2022491
Archives

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

Connect with Badger Institute
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
About Us
About Us

The Badger Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institute established in 1987 working to engage and energize Wisconsinites and others in discussions and timely action on key public policy issues critical to the state’s future, growth and prosperity.

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

What’s New

Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble

March 23, 2023

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility

March 9, 2023
© 2023 Badger Institute | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience.

Privacy settings

Privacy Settings

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.

NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.

CRM Software

Customer Relationship Management Software

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.

You can opt-out of having made your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity.

For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

Powered by Cookie Information