ST. PAUL — A recently released report faults the superintendent of a St. Paul charter school for failing to put improvements in place following an investigation that revealed fraudulent handling of a federal meal program.

The Community School of Excellence on Friday released a heavily redacted copy of the independent investigation, which said the school continued certain behavior for which it had already been penalized.

The school board imposed deadlines for Superintendent Mo Chang, the school’s founder, to make the necessary changes.

The inquiry, conducted by the law firm Ratwik, Roszak and Maloney, found that Chang continued directing employees to enter codes for meals that students didn’t eat, even after the state forced the school to repay about $200,000 in fraudulent federal meal reimbursements last year.

Entering the codes enables the school to collect federal aid for students who qualify for free and reduced-priced meals, a significant majority of the 960 students.

Chang said some of the issues listed in the report were a result of the school’s rapid growth. She said extensive training and the help of a newly hired director of operations would make a difference.

“We are already making significant improvements,” she said.

The report also found that Chang continued to discourage staff from reporting suspected child abuse to authorities.

The school used to require employees to report suspected abuse to the school superintendent rather than to police. The state ordered the school to eliminate the policy, but the report said Chang wasn’t complying.

She told an investigator she wanted to “hear the parents’ side of the story to see if there are any cultural issues or misunderstandings.”