State Auditor says district misused nutrition funds
By Jolie Peal 
, Reporter Nebraska Public Media News
Sept. 27, 2024, 2 p.m. ·
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The State Auditor criticized one school district’s use of nutrition funds.
Chase County Schools in the southwest part of the state used almost $125,000 from the school nutrition fund to help purchase two new 16 by 9 feet video boards in the gym.
The school said these boards would display nutritional facts and school lunch options as students walked through the gym to the cafeteria.
State Auditor Mike Foley said this is not what the funds are for.
“None of this, in my opinion, none of this should have been charged off to the nutrition fund because it serves no purpose related to the delivery and service of food,” he said.
Foley said the school had reached out to the Nebraska Department of Education for options on how to utilize that money before making any purchases. The state said the school could buy new kitchen equipment, upgrade lunch options or buy a menu board exclusively for the cafeteria.
According to the school, they received approval for this purchase and will do whatever they need to do to make amends. The district’s full statement is below:
“Chase County Schools is disappointed by the public release from the Auditor of Public Accounts criticizing the school’s internal accounting of the purchase of display boards proportionally allocated out of the school nutrition fund. As noted in the school district’s response to the auditor’s inquiry, the district undertook this purchase with transparency and with documented approval from the Nebraska Department of Education as to the use of funds from the nutritional program. The school district’s position is fully detailed in its response to the auditor’s initial inquiry and was included in the auditor’s final letter found here. To date, neither the Auditor of Public Accounts nor the Nebraska Department of Education have recommended any specific action be taken to address the concerns identified by the auditor. The school district will continue to cooperate with the Nebraska Department of Education to ensure that this and all purchases are appropriately accounted for.”
According to the audit, NDE said they would have never approved this purchase. Foley said the best way for the school to make amends would be to pay back the money taken from the school nutrition fund.