Report 2021-614 Recommendation 1 Responses
Report 2021-614: California Department of Education: It Needs to Provide Better Oversight to Ensure That Local Educational Agencies Promptly and Effectively Use Federal COVID‑19 Funds (Release Date: October 2021)
Recommendation #1 To: Education, Department of
To ensure that LEAs submit required spending data so that it can effectively oversee their use of ESSER and GEER funds, Education should continue to track the number of LEAs that fail to submit their quarterly spending reports and perform targeted outreach to these LEAs.
Education continues to track LEAs that fail to submit spending reports and provides targeted outreach as needed. Additionally, Education recently took the following steps in advance of the most recent reporting period (Winter 2021):
o On November 29, 2021, Education notified all LEAs of the Winter 2021 Reporting Cycle, including the due date.
o On December 2, 2021, Education notified LEAs who failed to report during the Fall 2021 Reporting Cycle that they must do so for the Winter 2021 Reporting Cycle.
o On December 6, 2021, Education also notified LEAs that did not fully complete all reports for the Fall 2021 Reporting Cycle that they must be completed for the Winter 2021 Reporting Cycle.
o Education completed follow-up telephone calls to the LEAs who submitted incomplete documentation or were identified as non-reporters, reminding them of the requirement to report and that failure to do so would result in a loss of their next quarterly apportionment of funding. LEAs were also informed that any expenditures that were not reported in Fall 2021 should be incorporated into their Winter 2021 report to ensure complete reporting from the beginning of the performance period to the end of the reporting period.
o Education worked with the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association - External Services Subcommittee (ESSCO) to communicate with LEAs and ensure they report on time.
- Completion Date: December 2021
California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Fully Implemented
All Recommendations in 2021-614
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.