Inadequate segregation of duties within a significant account or process - significant deficiency Condition - Due to the limited number of District staff, appropriate segregation of duties is not feasible for all accounting and reporting functions. Specifiic examples include: a. The District places the authority over the year end financial reporting process, including all controls over procedures used to enter transaction totals into the general ledger; initiate, authorize, record, and process journal entries into the general ledger; and record recurring and nonrecurring adjustments to the financial statements with one individual (the business manager) b. The District has several staff that have duties involving both processing and recording transcations into the general ledger. Such duties are involved in the district's cash receipting, disbursing and payroll functions. Several employees have access to the initial processing of the information as well as subsequent recording into the general ledger. c. The District has several departments that are responsible for the collection of fees charged to students and the general public. Thr departments are responsible for the collection, processing and reporting to the business office. In most instances, one individual in each department performs those duties. Criteria: A good system of internal control requires an adequate segregation of duties so that no one individual has incompatible responsibilities. No one person should have more than one duty relating to the authorization, custody of assets, record keeping, and reconciliation functions. Cause: Generally the lack of segregation is due to the limited funding available to add additional staff to appropriately divide related duties. Effect: The lack of segregation of duties creates a control deficiency because the design/operation of the control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis creating a more than remote likelihood that a misstatement in the District's financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected by the District's internal control. Context: The lack of segregation of duties exists within the district as a whole over all of its accounting and reporting functions. This is a common cirucumstance in districts of a similar size. Recommendation: The District's management needs to be cognizant of this situation which may include re-assigning duties, adding additioinal reconciling features, or providing appropriate oversigh responsibility. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and will monitor as it deems appropriate. Monitoring will include educating program managers to provide additional oversight for the interim and year end reporting. Repeat Finding: Yes - Prior year finding noted as 2023-001
Material jounal entires were proposed during the audit process - Material Weakness Condition: During the course of the engagement, we proposed material audit adjustments that were not identified as a result of the District's existing internal controls, and therefore could have resulted in a material misstatementof the District's financial statements. Criteria: A good system of internal accounting control contemplates an adequate system for recording and processing entries material to the financial statements. Cause: The District does not have an internal control system designed to identify all necessary adjustments. Effect: The deficiency could result in a misstatement to the financial statements that wold not be prevented or detected. Context: These entries covered both federal and nonfederal transactions. Recommendation: The District's management should develop a thorough review and reconciliation of accounts in each fund that should be performed prior to the beginning of the audit. This review should be performed at both the accounting staff and administrative levels. View of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and has hired additional business office staff and will provide additional training for UFARS reporting. Repeat Finding: No
Inadequate segregation of duties within a significant account or process - significant deficiency Condition - Due to the limited number of District staff, appropriate segregation of duties is not feasible for all accounting and reporting functions. Specifiic examples include: a. The District places the authority over the year end financial reporting process, including all controls over procedures used to enter transaction totals into the general ledger; initiate, authorize, record, and process journal entries into the general ledger; and record recurring and nonrecurring adjustments to the financial statements with one individual (the business manager) b. The District has several staff that have duties involving both processing and recording transcations into the general ledger. Such duties are involved in the district's cash receipting, disbursing and payroll functions. Several employees have access to the initial processing of the information as well as subsequent recording into the general ledger. c. The District has several departments that are responsible for the collection of fees charged to students and the general public. Thr departments are responsible for the collection, processing and reporting to the business office. In most instances, one individual in each department performs those duties. Criteria: A good system of internal control requires an adequate segregation of duties so that no one individual has incompatible responsibilities. No one person should have more than one duty relating to the authorization, custody of assets, record keeping, and reconciliation functions. Cause: Generally the lack of segregation is due to the limited funding available to add additional staff to appropriately divide related duties. Effect: The lack of segregation of duties creates a control deficiency because the design/operation of the control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis creating a more than remote likelihood that a misstatement in the District's financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected by the District's internal control. Context: The lack of segregation of duties exists within the district as a whole over all of its accounting and reporting functions. This is a common cirucumstance in districts of a similar size. Recommendation: The District's management needs to be cognizant of this situation which may include re-assigning duties, adding additioinal reconciling features, or providing appropriate oversigh responsibility. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and will monitor as it deems appropriate. Monitoring will include educating program managers to provide additional oversight for the interim and year end reporting. Repeat Finding: Yes - Prior year finding noted as 2023-001
Inadequate documentation for federal expenditures Condition: The District failed to timely provide adequate documentation as to compliance with capital budgets in a federal program resulting in a repayment of funds expended in the previous fiscal year. Criteria: The district has an approved budget for federal programming and must obtain approval for any budget amendments in a timely manner. Certain capital expenditures require approval prior to purchasing through application and budget process. Cause: The District failed to timely request and receive a budget amendment for a federal program during the presribed time period. Effect: During the current fiscal year, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) required the District to repay federal funds expended in the previous year for specific capital items since the budget amendment was not timely submitted by the District. MDE subsequently reallocated those program funds back to the District and approved for District use in the current fiscal year. This was material to the District's federal funds and required material adjustments to the financial statements and a reconcilding variance to the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). The total amount reallocated to the current fiscal year was $236,260 for this program. Recommendation: The District review all federal expenditures recorded in UFARS against the approved budgets. If modifications are required from the original application, the District should implement procedures to submit the proposed modifications to the oversight agency in a timely manner. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District acknowledges the instance and determined it to be an isolated instance due to staff turnover in the business office. The District has hired additional business office staff. Repeat Finding: No
Material jounal entires were proposed during the audit process - Material Weakness Condition: During the course of the engagement, we proposed material audit adjustments that were not identified as a result of the District's existing internal controls, and therefore could have resulted in a material misstatementof the District's financial statements. Criteria: A good system of internal accounting control contemplates an adequate system for recording and processing entries material to the financial statements. Cause: The District does not have an internal control system designed to identify all necessary adjustments. Effect: The deficiency could result in a misstatement to the financial statements that wold not be prevented or detected. Context: These entries covered both federal and nonfederal transactions. Recommendation: The District's management should develop a thorough review and reconciliation of accounts in each fund that should be performed prior to the beginning of the audit. This review should be performed at both the accounting staff and administrative levels. View of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and has hired additional business office staff and will provide additional training for UFARS reporting. Repeat Finding: No
Inadequate segregation of duties within a significant account or process - significant deficiency Condition - Due to the limited number of District staff, appropriate segregation of duties is not feasible for all accounting and reporting functions. Specifiic examples include: a. The District places the authority over the year end financial reporting process, including all controls over procedures used to enter transaction totals into the general ledger; initiate, authorize, record, and process journal entries into the general ledger; and record recurring and nonrecurring adjustments to the financial statements with one individual (the business manager) b. The District has several staff that have duties involving both processing and recording transcations into the general ledger. Such duties are involved in the district's cash receipting, disbursing and payroll functions. Several employees have access to the initial processing of the information as well as subsequent recording into the general ledger. c. The District has several departments that are responsible for the collection of fees charged to students and the general public. Thr departments are responsible for the collection, processing and reporting to the business office. In most instances, one individual in each department performs those duties. Criteria: A good system of internal control requires an adequate segregation of duties so that no one individual has incompatible responsibilities. No one person should have more than one duty relating to the authorization, custody of assets, record keeping, and reconciliation functions. Cause: Generally the lack of segregation is due to the limited funding available to add additional staff to appropriately divide related duties. Effect: The lack of segregation of duties creates a control deficiency because the design/operation of the control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis creating a more than remote likelihood that a misstatement in the District's financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected by the District's internal control. Context: The lack of segregation of duties exists within the district as a whole over all of its accounting and reporting functions. This is a common cirucumstance in districts of a similar size. Recommendation: The District's management needs to be cognizant of this situation which may include re-assigning duties, adding additioinal reconciling features, or providing appropriate oversigh responsibility. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and will monitor as it deems appropriate. Monitoring will include educating program managers to provide additional oversight for the interim and year end reporting. Repeat Finding: Yes - Prior year finding noted as 2023-001
Inadequate documentation for federal expenditures Condition: The District failed to timely provide adequate documentation as to compliance with capital budgets in a federal program resulting in a repayment of funds expended in the previous fiscal year. Criteria: The district has an approved budget for federal programming and must obtain approval for any budget amendments in a timely manner. Certain capital expenditures require approval prior to purchasing through application and budget process. Cause: The District failed to timely request and receive a budget amendment for a federal program during the presribed time period. Effect: During the current fiscal year, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) required the District to repay federal funds expended in the previous year for specific capital items since the budget amendment was not timely submitted by the District. MDE subsequently reallocated those program funds back to the District and approved for District use in the current fiscal year. This was material to the District's federal funds and required material adjustments to the financial statements and a reconcilding variance to the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). The total amount reallocated to the current fiscal year was $236,260 for this program. Recommendation: The District review all federal expenditures recorded in UFARS against the approved budgets. If modifications are required from the original application, the District should implement procedures to submit the proposed modifications to the oversight agency in a timely manner. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District acknowledges the instance and determined it to be an isolated instance due to staff turnover in the business office. The District has hired additional business office staff. Repeat Finding: No
Inadequate segregation of duties within a significant account or process - significant deficiency Condition - Due to the limited number of District staff, appropriate segregation of duties is not feasible for all accounting and reporting functions. Specifiic examples include: a. The District places the authority over the year end financial reporting process, including all controls over procedures used to enter transaction totals into the general ledger; initiate, authorize, record, and process journal entries into the general ledger; and record recurring and nonrecurring adjustments to the financial statements with one individual (the business manager) b. The District has several staff that have duties involving both processing and recording transcations into the general ledger. Such duties are involved in the district's cash receipting, disbursing and payroll functions. Several employees have access to the initial processing of the information as well as subsequent recording into the general ledger. c. The District has several departments that are responsible for the collection of fees charged to students and the general public. Thr departments are responsible for the collection, processing and reporting to the business office. In most instances, one individual in each department performs those duties. Criteria: A good system of internal control requires an adequate segregation of duties so that no one individual has incompatible responsibilities. No one person should have more than one duty relating to the authorization, custody of assets, record keeping, and reconciliation functions. Cause: Generally the lack of segregation is due to the limited funding available to add additional staff to appropriately divide related duties. Effect: The lack of segregation of duties creates a control deficiency because the design/operation of the control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis creating a more than remote likelihood that a misstatement in the District's financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected by the District's internal control. Context: The lack of segregation of duties exists within the district as a whole over all of its accounting and reporting functions. This is a common cirucumstance in districts of a similar size. Recommendation: The District's management needs to be cognizant of this situation which may include re-assigning duties, adding additioinal reconciling features, or providing appropriate oversigh responsibility. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and will monitor as it deems appropriate. Monitoring will include educating program managers to provide additional oversight for the interim and year end reporting. Repeat Finding: Yes - Prior year finding noted as 2023-001
Material jounal entires were proposed during the audit process - Material Weakness Condition: During the course of the engagement, we proposed material audit adjustments that were not identified as a result of the District's existing internal controls, and therefore could have resulted in a material misstatementof the District's financial statements. Criteria: A good system of internal accounting control contemplates an adequate system for recording and processing entries material to the financial statements. Cause: The District does not have an internal control system designed to identify all necessary adjustments. Effect: The deficiency could result in a misstatement to the financial statements that wold not be prevented or detected. Context: These entries covered both federal and nonfederal transactions. Recommendation: The District's management should develop a thorough review and reconciliation of accounts in each fund that should be performed prior to the beginning of the audit. This review should be performed at both the accounting staff and administrative levels. View of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and has hired additional business office staff and will provide additional training for UFARS reporting. Repeat Finding: No
Inadequate segregation of duties within a significant account or process - significant deficiency Condition - Due to the limited number of District staff, appropriate segregation of duties is not feasible for all accounting and reporting functions. Specifiic examples include: a. The District places the authority over the year end financial reporting process, including all controls over procedures used to enter transaction totals into the general ledger; initiate, authorize, record, and process journal entries into the general ledger; and record recurring and nonrecurring adjustments to the financial statements with one individual (the business manager) b. The District has several staff that have duties involving both processing and recording transcations into the general ledger. Such duties are involved in the district's cash receipting, disbursing and payroll functions. Several employees have access to the initial processing of the information as well as subsequent recording into the general ledger. c. The District has several departments that are responsible for the collection of fees charged to students and the general public. Thr departments are responsible for the collection, processing and reporting to the business office. In most instances, one individual in each department performs those duties. Criteria: A good system of internal control requires an adequate segregation of duties so that no one individual has incompatible responsibilities. No one person should have more than one duty relating to the authorization, custody of assets, record keeping, and reconciliation functions. Cause: Generally the lack of segregation is due to the limited funding available to add additional staff to appropriately divide related duties. Effect: The lack of segregation of duties creates a control deficiency because the design/operation of the control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis creating a more than remote likelihood that a misstatement in the District's financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected by the District's internal control. Context: The lack of segregation of duties exists within the district as a whole over all of its accounting and reporting functions. This is a common cirucumstance in districts of a similar size. Recommendation: The District's management needs to be cognizant of this situation which may include re-assigning duties, adding additioinal reconciling features, or providing appropriate oversigh responsibility. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and will monitor as it deems appropriate. Monitoring will include educating program managers to provide additional oversight for the interim and year end reporting. Repeat Finding: Yes - Prior year finding noted as 2023-001
Inadequate documentation for federal expenditures Condition: The District failed to timely provide adequate documentation as to compliance with capital budgets in a federal program resulting in a repayment of funds expended in the previous fiscal year. Criteria: The district has an approved budget for federal programming and must obtain approval for any budget amendments in a timely manner. Certain capital expenditures require approval prior to purchasing through application and budget process. Cause: The District failed to timely request and receive a budget amendment for a federal program during the presribed time period. Effect: During the current fiscal year, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) required the District to repay federal funds expended in the previous year for specific capital items since the budget amendment was not timely submitted by the District. MDE subsequently reallocated those program funds back to the District and approved for District use in the current fiscal year. This was material to the District's federal funds and required material adjustments to the financial statements and a reconcilding variance to the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). The total amount reallocated to the current fiscal year was $236,260 for this program. Recommendation: The District review all federal expenditures recorded in UFARS against the approved budgets. If modifications are required from the original application, the District should implement procedures to submit the proposed modifications to the oversight agency in a timely manner. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District acknowledges the instance and determined it to be an isolated instance due to staff turnover in the business office. The District has hired additional business office staff. Repeat Finding: No
Material jounal entires were proposed during the audit process - Material Weakness Condition: During the course of the engagement, we proposed material audit adjustments that were not identified as a result of the District's existing internal controls, and therefore could have resulted in a material misstatementof the District's financial statements. Criteria: A good system of internal accounting control contemplates an adequate system for recording and processing entries material to the financial statements. Cause: The District does not have an internal control system designed to identify all necessary adjustments. Effect: The deficiency could result in a misstatement to the financial statements that wold not be prevented or detected. Context: These entries covered both federal and nonfederal transactions. Recommendation: The District's management should develop a thorough review and reconciliation of accounts in each fund that should be performed prior to the beginning of the audit. This review should be performed at both the accounting staff and administrative levels. View of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and has hired additional business office staff and will provide additional training for UFARS reporting. Repeat Finding: No
Inadequate segregation of duties within a significant account or process - significant deficiency Condition - Due to the limited number of District staff, appropriate segregation of duties is not feasible for all accounting and reporting functions. Specifiic examples include: a. The District places the authority over the year end financial reporting process, including all controls over procedures used to enter transaction totals into the general ledger; initiate, authorize, record, and process journal entries into the general ledger; and record recurring and nonrecurring adjustments to the financial statements with one individual (the business manager) b. The District has several staff that have duties involving both processing and recording transcations into the general ledger. Such duties are involved in the district's cash receipting, disbursing and payroll functions. Several employees have access to the initial processing of the information as well as subsequent recording into the general ledger. c. The District has several departments that are responsible for the collection of fees charged to students and the general public. Thr departments are responsible for the collection, processing and reporting to the business office. In most instances, one individual in each department performs those duties. Criteria: A good system of internal control requires an adequate segregation of duties so that no one individual has incompatible responsibilities. No one person should have more than one duty relating to the authorization, custody of assets, record keeping, and reconciliation functions. Cause: Generally the lack of segregation is due to the limited funding available to add additional staff to appropriately divide related duties. Effect: The lack of segregation of duties creates a control deficiency because the design/operation of the control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis creating a more than remote likelihood that a misstatement in the District's financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected by the District's internal control. Context: The lack of segregation of duties exists within the district as a whole over all of its accounting and reporting functions. This is a common cirucumstance in districts of a similar size. Recommendation: The District's management needs to be cognizant of this situation which may include re-assigning duties, adding additioinal reconciling features, or providing appropriate oversigh responsibility. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District is aware of the situation and will monitor as it deems appropriate. Monitoring will include educating program managers to provide additional oversight for the interim and year end reporting. Repeat Finding: Yes - Prior year finding noted as 2023-001
Inadequate documentation for federal expenditures Condition: The District failed to timely provide adequate documentation as to compliance with capital budgets in a federal program resulting in a repayment of funds expended in the previous fiscal year. Criteria: The district has an approved budget for federal programming and must obtain approval for any budget amendments in a timely manner. Certain capital expenditures require approval prior to purchasing through application and budget process. Cause: The District failed to timely request and receive a budget amendment for a federal program during the presribed time period. Effect: During the current fiscal year, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) required the District to repay federal funds expended in the previous year for specific capital items since the budget amendment was not timely submitted by the District. MDE subsequently reallocated those program funds back to the District and approved for District use in the current fiscal year. This was material to the District's federal funds and required material adjustments to the financial statements and a reconcilding variance to the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). The total amount reallocated to the current fiscal year was $236,260 for this program. Recommendation: The District review all federal expenditures recorded in UFARS against the approved budgets. If modifications are required from the original application, the District should implement procedures to submit the proposed modifications to the oversight agency in a timely manner. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: The District acknowledges the instance and determined it to be an isolated instance due to staff turnover in the business office. The District has hired additional business office staff. Repeat Finding: No