Audit 294827

FY End
2023-06-30
Total Expended
$31.25M
Findings
8
Programs
16
Organization: City School District of Albany (NY)
Year: 2023 Accepted: 2024-03-13

Organization Exclusion Status:

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Findings

ID Ref Severity Repeat Requirement
375769 2023-003 Material Weakness - A
375770 2023-003 Material Weakness - A
375771 2023-003 Material Weakness - A
375772 2023-004 - - F
952211 2023-003 Material Weakness - A
952212 2023-003 Material Weakness - A
952213 2023-003 Material Weakness - A
952214 2023-004 - - F

Contacts

Name Title Type
HMLJRC5YMYP8 Joseph Karas Auditee
5184756030 Douglas E. Zimmerman, CPA Auditor
No contacts on file

Notes to SEFA

Title: Subrecipients Accounting Policies: The accompanying schedule of expenditures of federal awards presents the activity of federal award programs administered by the District, which is described in note 1 to the District’s accompanying financial statements, using the modified accrual basis of accounting. Federal awards that are included in the schedule may be received directly from federal agencies, as well as federal awards that are passed through from other government agencies. The information is presented in accordance with the requirements of the Uniform Guidance. Matching costs (the District’s share of certain program costs) are not included in the reported expenditures. The amounts reported as federal expenditures were obtained from the federal financial reports for the applicable program and periods. The amounts reported in the schedule of expenditures of federal awards are prepared from records maintained for each program, which are reconciled with the District’s financial reporting system. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: Indirect costs are included in the reported expenditures to the extent that such costs are included in the Federal financial reports used as the source for the data presented. The District does not use the 10% de minimis election. No amounts were provided to subrecipients.
Title: Nonmonetary Federal Program Accounting Policies: The accompanying schedule of expenditures of federal awards presents the activity of federal award programs administered by the District, which is described in note 1 to the District’s accompanying financial statements, using the modified accrual basis of accounting. Federal awards that are included in the schedule may be received directly from federal agencies, as well as federal awards that are passed through from other government agencies. The information is presented in accordance with the requirements of the Uniform Guidance. Matching costs (the District’s share of certain program costs) are not included in the reported expenditures. The amounts reported as federal expenditures were obtained from the federal financial reports for the applicable program and periods. The amounts reported in the schedule of expenditures of federal awards are prepared from records maintained for each program, which are reconciled with the District’s financial reporting system. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: Indirect costs are included in the reported expenditures to the extent that such costs are included in the Federal financial reports used as the source for the data presented. The District does not use the 10% de minimis election. The District is the recipient of a federal award program (Assistance Listing No. 10.555) that does not result in cash receipts or disbursements termed a “nonmonetary program.” During the year ended June 30, 2023, the District used $474,267 worth of food commodities as reported in the schedule of expenditures of federal awards.

Finding Details

Federal Agency - United States Department of Agriculture Federal Program - Child Nutrition Cluster (10.553, 10.555) Federal Award Years - 2023 State Agency - Department of Education Reference - 2023-003 Criteria - Management is responsible for maintaining accurate accounting records, including the tracking of state and federal grants. Condition - Significant changes occurred in the District staffing during the year resulting in delays in reconciling asset and liability accounts in the school lunch fund, and therefore, the accounting records did not accurately reflect appropriate balances of the state and federal grants receivable, including the amounts reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Cause - The District’s change in staffing caused the controls over reconciling asset and liability accounts to not operate as designed. Effect of Condition - Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded amounting to $1,063,327 of federal awards that was previously excluded from the District’s schedule of expenditures of federal awards and the school lunch fund. Questioned Costs - None. Perspective - Two of the twelve months of child nutrition reimbursements were not accounted for in the school lunch fund or schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded to properly report the grants. Recommendation - We recommend that significant asset and liability accounts be reconciled at year-end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - (a) Comments on the finding and recommendation: The District agrees with the finding. The District also agrees with the recommendation. See below for actions taken. (b) Actions Taken: Management will reconcile significant asset and liability accounts, including state and federal receivables, at year end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. (c) Anticipated Completion Date: Management anticipates this finding will be resolved by June 30, 2024.
Federal Agency - United States Department of Agriculture Federal Program - Child Nutrition Cluster (10.553, 10.555) Federal Award Years - 2023 State Agency - Department of Education Reference - 2023-003 Criteria - Management is responsible for maintaining accurate accounting records, including the tracking of state and federal grants. Condition - Significant changes occurred in the District staffing during the year resulting in delays in reconciling asset and liability accounts in the school lunch fund, and therefore, the accounting records did not accurately reflect appropriate balances of the state and federal grants receivable, including the amounts reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Cause - The District’s change in staffing caused the controls over reconciling asset and liability accounts to not operate as designed. Effect of Condition - Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded amounting to $1,063,327 of federal awards that was previously excluded from the District’s schedule of expenditures of federal awards and the school lunch fund. Questioned Costs - None. Perspective - Two of the twelve months of child nutrition reimbursements were not accounted for in the school lunch fund or schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded to properly report the grants. Recommendation - We recommend that significant asset and liability accounts be reconciled at year-end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - (a) Comments on the finding and recommendation: The District agrees with the finding. The District also agrees with the recommendation. See below for actions taken. (b) Actions Taken: Management will reconcile significant asset and liability accounts, including state and federal receivables, at year end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. (c) Anticipated Completion Date: Management anticipates this finding will be resolved by June 30, 2024.
Federal Agency - United States Department of Agriculture Federal Program - Child Nutrition Cluster (10.553, 10.555) Federal Award Years - 2023 State Agency - Department of Education Reference - 2023-003 Criteria - Management is responsible for maintaining accurate accounting records, including the tracking of state and federal grants. Condition - Significant changes occurred in the District staffing during the year resulting in delays in reconciling asset and liability accounts in the school lunch fund, and therefore, the accounting records did not accurately reflect appropriate balances of the state and federal grants receivable, including the amounts reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Cause - The District’s change in staffing caused the controls over reconciling asset and liability accounts to not operate as designed. Effect of Condition - Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded amounting to $1,063,327 of federal awards that was previously excluded from the District’s schedule of expenditures of federal awards and the school lunch fund. Questioned Costs - None. Perspective - Two of the twelve months of child nutrition reimbursements were not accounted for in the school lunch fund or schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded to properly report the grants. Recommendation - We recommend that significant asset and liability accounts be reconciled at year-end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - (a) Comments on the finding and recommendation: The District agrees with the finding. The District also agrees with the recommendation. See below for actions taken. (b) Actions Taken: Management will reconcile significant asset and liability accounts, including state and federal receivables, at year end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. (c) Anticipated Completion Date: Management anticipates this finding will be resolved by June 30, 2024.
Federal Agency - United States Department of Education Federal Program - Education Stabilization Fund - Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (84.425D) Federal Award Years - 2023 State Agency - Department of Education Reference - 2023-004 Criteria - Equipment and real property purchased with federal funds is required to be tracked separately and a physical inventory performed every two years. Condition - The District has not performed a physical inventory of federally purchased property in the past two years. As a result, equipment claimed under Education Stabilization Funds were not properly tracked and reconciled. Cause - The District does not have a process in place to ensure that a physical inventory is taken and the results reconciled with property records at least once every two years. Effect of Condition - The District was unable to verify that equipment purchased using federal funds was still in place and operating in good condition. Questioned Costs - None. Perspective - A physical inventory was not completed within the last two years and as a result, the property records of the District were not able to be reconciled to ensure that property obtained with federal funds were maintained and in good condition. Recommendation - We recommend that the District obtain a physical inventory of their capital asset records. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - (a) Comments on the finding and recommendation: The District agrees with the finding. The District also agrees with the recommendation. See below for actions taken. (b) Actions Taken: Management will contract with a third party organization to have a physical inventory performed. (c) Anticipated Completion Date: Management anticipates this finding will be resolved by June 30, 2024.
Federal Agency - United States Department of Agriculture Federal Program - Child Nutrition Cluster (10.553, 10.555) Federal Award Years - 2023 State Agency - Department of Education Reference - 2023-003 Criteria - Management is responsible for maintaining accurate accounting records, including the tracking of state and federal grants. Condition - Significant changes occurred in the District staffing during the year resulting in delays in reconciling asset and liability accounts in the school lunch fund, and therefore, the accounting records did not accurately reflect appropriate balances of the state and federal grants receivable, including the amounts reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Cause - The District’s change in staffing caused the controls over reconciling asset and liability accounts to not operate as designed. Effect of Condition - Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded amounting to $1,063,327 of federal awards that was previously excluded from the District’s schedule of expenditures of federal awards and the school lunch fund. Questioned Costs - None. Perspective - Two of the twelve months of child nutrition reimbursements were not accounted for in the school lunch fund or schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded to properly report the grants. Recommendation - We recommend that significant asset and liability accounts be reconciled at year-end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - (a) Comments on the finding and recommendation: The District agrees with the finding. The District also agrees with the recommendation. See below for actions taken. (b) Actions Taken: Management will reconcile significant asset and liability accounts, including state and federal receivables, at year end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. (c) Anticipated Completion Date: Management anticipates this finding will be resolved by June 30, 2024.
Federal Agency - United States Department of Agriculture Federal Program - Child Nutrition Cluster (10.553, 10.555) Federal Award Years - 2023 State Agency - Department of Education Reference - 2023-003 Criteria - Management is responsible for maintaining accurate accounting records, including the tracking of state and federal grants. Condition - Significant changes occurred in the District staffing during the year resulting in delays in reconciling asset and liability accounts in the school lunch fund, and therefore, the accounting records did not accurately reflect appropriate balances of the state and federal grants receivable, including the amounts reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Cause - The District’s change in staffing caused the controls over reconciling asset and liability accounts to not operate as designed. Effect of Condition - Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded amounting to $1,063,327 of federal awards that was previously excluded from the District’s schedule of expenditures of federal awards and the school lunch fund. Questioned Costs - None. Perspective - Two of the twelve months of child nutrition reimbursements were not accounted for in the school lunch fund or schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded to properly report the grants. Recommendation - We recommend that significant asset and liability accounts be reconciled at year-end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - (a) Comments on the finding and recommendation: The District agrees with the finding. The District also agrees with the recommendation. See below for actions taken. (b) Actions Taken: Management will reconcile significant asset and liability accounts, including state and federal receivables, at year end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. (c) Anticipated Completion Date: Management anticipates this finding will be resolved by June 30, 2024.
Federal Agency - United States Department of Agriculture Federal Program - Child Nutrition Cluster (10.553, 10.555) Federal Award Years - 2023 State Agency - Department of Education Reference - 2023-003 Criteria - Management is responsible for maintaining accurate accounting records, including the tracking of state and federal grants. Condition - Significant changes occurred in the District staffing during the year resulting in delays in reconciling asset and liability accounts in the school lunch fund, and therefore, the accounting records did not accurately reflect appropriate balances of the state and federal grants receivable, including the amounts reported on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Cause - The District’s change in staffing caused the controls over reconciling asset and liability accounts to not operate as designed. Effect of Condition - Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded amounting to $1,063,327 of federal awards that was previously excluded from the District’s schedule of expenditures of federal awards and the school lunch fund. Questioned Costs - None. Perspective - Two of the twelve months of child nutrition reimbursements were not accounted for in the school lunch fund or schedule of expenditures of federal awards. Audit adjusting journal entries were recorded to properly report the grants. Recommendation - We recommend that significant asset and liability accounts be reconciled at year-end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - (a) Comments on the finding and recommendation: The District agrees with the finding. The District also agrees with the recommendation. See below for actions taken. (b) Actions Taken: Management will reconcile significant asset and liability accounts, including state and federal receivables, at year end to ensure accounting records accurately reflect appropriate balances. (c) Anticipated Completion Date: Management anticipates this finding will be resolved by June 30, 2024.
Federal Agency - United States Department of Education Federal Program - Education Stabilization Fund - Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (84.425D) Federal Award Years - 2023 State Agency - Department of Education Reference - 2023-004 Criteria - Equipment and real property purchased with federal funds is required to be tracked separately and a physical inventory performed every two years. Condition - The District has not performed a physical inventory of federally purchased property in the past two years. As a result, equipment claimed under Education Stabilization Funds were not properly tracked and reconciled. Cause - The District does not have a process in place to ensure that a physical inventory is taken and the results reconciled with property records at least once every two years. Effect of Condition - The District was unable to verify that equipment purchased using federal funds was still in place and operating in good condition. Questioned Costs - None. Perspective - A physical inventory was not completed within the last two years and as a result, the property records of the District were not able to be reconciled to ensure that property obtained with federal funds were maintained and in good condition. Recommendation - We recommend that the District obtain a physical inventory of their capital asset records. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - (a) Comments on the finding and recommendation: The District agrees with the finding. The District also agrees with the recommendation. See below for actions taken. (b) Actions Taken: Management will contract with a third party organization to have a physical inventory performed. (c) Anticipated Completion Date: Management anticipates this finding will be resolved by June 30, 2024.