EPISD says all funds for the Gene Roddenberry planetarium were used despite recent audit

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- A recent audit performed by ESSER lll states "there is a lag in the implementation of the planetarium" the audit went on to say the El Paso ISD only used 12% ($70,000) of the project's $560,000 budget.

Audit documents say some of the causes for the lag are due to miscommunication and misunderstanding in regards to contract approvals and requesting quotes.

ABC-7 spoke to Daniel Vasquez, Fund Development and Education foundation officer for El Paso ISD, he says the misunderstanding and lag were due to them being behind with the internal timeline they set for themselves.

This project is a partnership between El Paso ISD and the City of El Paso. Through a community development block grant El Paso ISD were awarded for $1.2 million to convert the old multipurpose center at Crosby Elementary into the planetarium.

Vasquez says "We used 100% of the $1.2 million for the capital. The 12% of the funding was supplemental funding that the district invested. And at the point in time when that audit was done, that project had only spent 12% of the funds."

Vasquez also added the project was completed with $102,000 to spare that they able to use across the district to enhance curriculum.