Audit 346211

FINDING 2024-002 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-001. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the purchase of goods and services that fell within the small purchase threshold or were considered covered transactions. Procurement - Small Purchases When the value of goods or services exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, the proper purchasing method would be the bidding process, unless the purchase meets certain other qualifications. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds: micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that proper procurement procedures for small purchases were followed. A population of two small purchase vendors for fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and a population of three small purchase venders for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, were identified. All five were selected for testing. For three of the five small purchase transactions, totaling $102,026, the School Corporation did not obtain price or rate quotes nor was there documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement method used. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. The School Corporation had three covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 during the audit period that were identified and selected for testing. Payments to the vendors, totaling $194,537, were made without verifying if the vendors were suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participation in federal awards. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318(a) states: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non- Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327." 2 CFR 200.318(i) states: "The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price." Indiana Code 5-22-8-3(d) states: "If the purchasing agent receives a satisfactory quote, the purchasing agent shall award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive offeror for each line or class of supplies required." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 2 CFR 200.320 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award. (a) Informal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal award does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), as defined in § 200.1, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are not required. The non-Federal entity may use informal procurement methods to expedite the completion of its transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The informal methods used for procurement of property or services at or below the SAT include: . . . (2) Small purchases — (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity. . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. The School Corporation did not adequately perform suspension and debarment procedures and were not aware of small purchase requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, price or rate quotes were not obtained for small purchases and vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure rate or price quotes are obtained for small purchases and ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-002 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-001. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the purchase of goods and services that fell within the small purchase threshold or were considered covered transactions. Procurement - Small Purchases When the value of goods or services exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, the proper purchasing method would be the bidding process, unless the purchase meets certain other qualifications. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds: micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that proper procurement procedures for small purchases were followed. A population of two small purchase vendors for fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and a population of three small purchase venders for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, were identified. All five were selected for testing. For three of the five small purchase transactions, totaling $102,026, the School Corporation did not obtain price or rate quotes nor was there documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement method used. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. The School Corporation had three covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 during the audit period that were identified and selected for testing. Payments to the vendors, totaling $194,537, were made without verifying if the vendors were suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participation in federal awards. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318(a) states: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non- Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327." 2 CFR 200.318(i) states: "The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price." Indiana Code 5-22-8-3(d) states: "If the purchasing agent receives a satisfactory quote, the purchasing agent shall award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive offeror for each line or class of supplies required." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 2 CFR 200.320 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award. (a) Informal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal award does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), as defined in § 200.1, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are not required. The non-Federal entity may use informal procurement methods to expedite the completion of its transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The informal methods used for procurement of property or services at or below the SAT include: . . . (2) Small purchases — (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity. . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. The School Corporation did not adequately perform suspension and debarment procedures and were not aware of small purchase requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, price or rate quotes were not obtained for small purchases and vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure rate or price quotes are obtained for small purchases and ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-002 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-001. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the purchase of goods and services that fell within the small purchase threshold or were considered covered transactions. Procurement - Small Purchases When the value of goods or services exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, the proper purchasing method would be the bidding process, unless the purchase meets certain other qualifications. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds: micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that proper procurement procedures for small purchases were followed. A population of two small purchase vendors for fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and a population of three small purchase venders for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, were identified. All five were selected for testing. For three of the five small purchase transactions, totaling $102,026, the School Corporation did not obtain price or rate quotes nor was there documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement method used. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. The School Corporation had three covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 during the audit period that were identified and selected for testing. Payments to the vendors, totaling $194,537, were made without verifying if the vendors were suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participation in federal awards. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318(a) states: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non- Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327." 2 CFR 200.318(i) states: "The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price." Indiana Code 5-22-8-3(d) states: "If the purchasing agent receives a satisfactory quote, the purchasing agent shall award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive offeror for each line or class of supplies required." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 2 CFR 200.320 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award. (a) Informal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal award does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), as defined in § 200.1, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are not required. The non-Federal entity may use informal procurement methods to expedite the completion of its transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The informal methods used for procurement of property or services at or below the SAT include: . . . (2) Small purchases — (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity. . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. The School Corporation did not adequately perform suspension and debarment procedures and were not aware of small purchase requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, price or rate quotes were not obtained for small purchases and vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure rate or price quotes are obtained for small purchases and ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-002 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-001. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the purchase of goods and services that fell within the small purchase threshold or were considered covered transactions. Procurement - Small Purchases When the value of goods or services exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, the proper purchasing method would be the bidding process, unless the purchase meets certain other qualifications. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds: micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that proper procurement procedures for small purchases were followed. A population of two small purchase vendors for fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and a population of three small purchase venders for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, were identified. All five were selected for testing. For three of the five small purchase transactions, totaling $102,026, the School Corporation did not obtain price or rate quotes nor was there documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement method used. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. The School Corporation had three covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 during the audit period that were identified and selected for testing. Payments to the vendors, totaling $194,537, were made without verifying if the vendors were suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participation in federal awards. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318(a) states: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non- Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327." 2 CFR 200.318(i) states: "The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price." Indiana Code 5-22-8-3(d) states: "If the purchasing agent receives a satisfactory quote, the purchasing agent shall award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive offeror for each line or class of supplies required." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 2 CFR 200.320 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award. (a) Informal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal award does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), as defined in § 200.1, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are not required. The non-Federal entity may use informal procurement methods to expedite the completion of its transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The informal methods used for procurement of property or services at or below the SAT include: . . . (2) Small purchases — (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity. . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. The School Corporation did not adequately perform suspension and debarment procedures and were not aware of small purchase requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, price or rate quotes were not obtained for small purchases and vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure rate or price quotes are obtained for small purchases and ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to determining the eligibility of a child to receive free or reduced-price meals. A child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on the Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the Head Start program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application for free or reduced-price meals. The School Corporation contracted with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) for the operation of the food service program during the audit period. The FSMC had a dedicated representative who worked exclusively with the School Corporation. The School Corporation did not have policies or procedures in place to ensure compliance with determining the eligibility of students for free and reduce price meals as noted in the following: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Direct Certifications The FSMC representative was responsible for generating and reviewing the direct certification file. The FSMC representative downloaded the direct certification file from the State of Indiana database and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. There was no documentation of review by the School Corporation to ensure the upload had been completed, that the upload had imported correctly, or the students' statuses were updated accordingly. Applications The School Corporation utilized a POS system to determine eligibility of the applications submitted for free and reduced price meals based on income eligibility guidelines. The income eligibility guidelines were input by the FSMC representative and reviewed by a knowledgeable school employee for the year ended June 30, 2024; however, there was no documented review or approval in place to ensure the guidelines were properly entered for the year ended June 30, 2023. Applications were submitted online as part of the annual registration process, and, when fully complete, the determination of eligibility was completed by the POS system based on the inputted income eligibility guidelines. The School Corporation relied solely on the POS system to calculate and determine the eligibility status of student applications. There was no documentation of procedures or review to ensure the software system was accurately calculating and determining the student eligibility status. Of the 30 students receiving free and reduced-price meals that were tested, the following noncompliance was noted:  Two students were receiving free meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for reduced-priced meals.  Two students were receiving reduced-price meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for free meals. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 7 CFR 245.6(c)(4) states: "The local educational agency must use the income information provided by the household on the application to calculate the household's total current income. When a household submits an application containing complete documentation, as defined in § 245.2, and the household's total current income is at or below the eligibility limits specified in the Income Eligibility Guidelines as defined in § 245.2, the children in that household must be approved for free or reduced price benefits, as applicable." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads, review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system, and application records were not properly implemented. The School Corporation relied on the FSMC and the POS to determine eligibility without an oversight process in place. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation did not calculate eligibility accurately. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches is accurately determined and that all documentation is retained. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to determining the eligibility of a child to receive free or reduced-price meals. A child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on the Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the Head Start program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application for free or reduced-price meals. The School Corporation contracted with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) for the operation of the food service program during the audit period. The FSMC had a dedicated representative who worked exclusively with the School Corporation. The School Corporation did not have policies or procedures in place to ensure compliance with determining the eligibility of students for free and reduce price meals as noted in the following: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Direct Certifications The FSMC representative was responsible for generating and reviewing the direct certification file. The FSMC representative downloaded the direct certification file from the State of Indiana database and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. There was no documentation of review by the School Corporation to ensure the upload had been completed, that the upload had imported correctly, or the students' statuses were updated accordingly. Applications The School Corporation utilized a POS system to determine eligibility of the applications submitted for free and reduced price meals based on income eligibility guidelines. The income eligibility guidelines were input by the FSMC representative and reviewed by a knowledgeable school employee for the year ended June 30, 2024; however, there was no documented review or approval in place to ensure the guidelines were properly entered for the year ended June 30, 2023. Applications were submitted online as part of the annual registration process, and, when fully complete, the determination of eligibility was completed by the POS system based on the inputted income eligibility guidelines. The School Corporation relied solely on the POS system to calculate and determine the eligibility status of student applications. There was no documentation of procedures or review to ensure the software system was accurately calculating and determining the student eligibility status. Of the 30 students receiving free and reduced-price meals that were tested, the following noncompliance was noted:  Two students were receiving free meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for reduced-priced meals.  Two students were receiving reduced-price meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for free meals. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 7 CFR 245.6(c)(4) states: "The local educational agency must use the income information provided by the household on the application to calculate the household's total current income. When a household submits an application containing complete documentation, as defined in § 245.2, and the household's total current income is at or below the eligibility limits specified in the Income Eligibility Guidelines as defined in § 245.2, the children in that household must be approved for free or reduced price benefits, as applicable." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads, review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system, and application records were not properly implemented. The School Corporation relied on the FSMC and the POS to determine eligibility without an oversight process in place. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation did not calculate eligibility accurately. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches is accurately determined and that all documentation is retained. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to determining the eligibility of a child to receive free or reduced-price meals. A child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on the Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the Head Start program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application for free or reduced-price meals. The School Corporation contracted with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) for the operation of the food service program during the audit period. The FSMC had a dedicated representative who worked exclusively with the School Corporation. The School Corporation did not have policies or procedures in place to ensure compliance with determining the eligibility of students for free and reduce price meals as noted in the following: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Direct Certifications The FSMC representative was responsible for generating and reviewing the direct certification file. The FSMC representative downloaded the direct certification file from the State of Indiana database and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. There was no documentation of review by the School Corporation to ensure the upload had been completed, that the upload had imported correctly, or the students' statuses were updated accordingly. Applications The School Corporation utilized a POS system to determine eligibility of the applications submitted for free and reduced price meals based on income eligibility guidelines. The income eligibility guidelines were input by the FSMC representative and reviewed by a knowledgeable school employee for the year ended June 30, 2024; however, there was no documented review or approval in place to ensure the guidelines were properly entered for the year ended June 30, 2023. Applications were submitted online as part of the annual registration process, and, when fully complete, the determination of eligibility was completed by the POS system based on the inputted income eligibility guidelines. The School Corporation relied solely on the POS system to calculate and determine the eligibility status of student applications. There was no documentation of procedures or review to ensure the software system was accurately calculating and determining the student eligibility status. Of the 30 students receiving free and reduced-price meals that were tested, the following noncompliance was noted:  Two students were receiving free meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for reduced-priced meals.  Two students were receiving reduced-price meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for free meals. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 7 CFR 245.6(c)(4) states: "The local educational agency must use the income information provided by the household on the application to calculate the household's total current income. When a household submits an application containing complete documentation, as defined in § 245.2, and the household's total current income is at or below the eligibility limits specified in the Income Eligibility Guidelines as defined in § 245.2, the children in that household must be approved for free or reduced price benefits, as applicable." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads, review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system, and application records were not properly implemented. The School Corporation relied on the FSMC and the POS to determine eligibility without an oversight process in place. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation did not calculate eligibility accurately. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches is accurately determined and that all documentation is retained. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to determining the eligibility of a child to receive free or reduced-price meals. A child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on the Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the Head Start program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application for free or reduced-price meals. The School Corporation contracted with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) for the operation of the food service program during the audit period. The FSMC had a dedicated representative who worked exclusively with the School Corporation. The School Corporation did not have policies or procedures in place to ensure compliance with determining the eligibility of students for free and reduce price meals as noted in the following: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Direct Certifications The FSMC representative was responsible for generating and reviewing the direct certification file. The FSMC representative downloaded the direct certification file from the State of Indiana database and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. There was no documentation of review by the School Corporation to ensure the upload had been completed, that the upload had imported correctly, or the students' statuses were updated accordingly. Applications The School Corporation utilized a POS system to determine eligibility of the applications submitted for free and reduced price meals based on income eligibility guidelines. The income eligibility guidelines were input by the FSMC representative and reviewed by a knowledgeable school employee for the year ended June 30, 2024; however, there was no documented review or approval in place to ensure the guidelines were properly entered for the year ended June 30, 2023. Applications were submitted online as part of the annual registration process, and, when fully complete, the determination of eligibility was completed by the POS system based on the inputted income eligibility guidelines. The School Corporation relied solely on the POS system to calculate and determine the eligibility status of student applications. There was no documentation of procedures or review to ensure the software system was accurately calculating and determining the student eligibility status. Of the 30 students receiving free and reduced-price meals that were tested, the following noncompliance was noted:  Two students were receiving free meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for reduced-priced meals.  Two students were receiving reduced-price meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for free meals. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 7 CFR 245.6(c)(4) states: "The local educational agency must use the income information provided by the household on the application to calculate the household's total current income. When a household submits an application containing complete documentation, as defined in § 245.2, and the household's total current income is at or below the eligibility limits specified in the Income Eligibility Guidelines as defined in § 245.2, the children in that household must be approved for free or reduced price benefits, as applicable." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads, review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system, and application records were not properly implemented. The School Corporation relied on the FSMC and the POS to determine eligibility without an oversight process in place. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation did not calculate eligibility accurately. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches is accurately determined and that all documentation is retained. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 23611-046-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 21 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Interlocal (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2022-2023, the Cooperative operated the special education programs and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreements were between the Indiana Department of Education and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. However, there was inadequate oversight performed by the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with the Procurement and Suspension and the Debarment compliance requirement. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the suspension and debarment requirements. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure compliance with the suspension and debarment requirements. Prior to entering into covered transactions with grant award funds, entities are required to verify that vendors under covered transactions are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods or services awarded under procurement and nonprocurement transactions (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the System for Award Management (SAM) exclusions, collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Upon inquiry of the Cooperative in order to review procedures in place for verifying that an entity with which it plans to enter into a covered transaction is not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded, the Cooperative explained that if the covered transaction had a contract, the contract was verified to make sure the clause for suspension and debarment was included. However, if the covered transaction did not involve a contract, the Cooperative did not have procedures in place to verify the suspension and debarment requirements. A population of five covered transactions for goods or services that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from grant award funds during the audit period was identified. Three of the five covered transactions did not have documentation to show that they were verified for the suspension and debarment requirements. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were a systemic issue throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 22 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The Cooperative indicated that if the covered transaction had a contract, the contract was verified to make sure the clause for suspension and debarment was included. However, if the covered transaction did not involve a contract, the Cooperative did not have procedures in place to verify the suspension and debarment requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure vendors are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any covered transactions. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 23611-046-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 21 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Interlocal (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2022-2023, the Cooperative operated the special education programs and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreements were between the Indiana Department of Education and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. However, there was inadequate oversight performed by the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with the Procurement and Suspension and the Debarment compliance requirement. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the suspension and debarment requirements. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure compliance with the suspension and debarment requirements. Prior to entering into covered transactions with grant award funds, entities are required to verify that vendors under covered transactions are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods or services awarded under procurement and nonprocurement transactions (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the System for Award Management (SAM) exclusions, collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Upon inquiry of the Cooperative in order to review procedures in place for verifying that an entity with which it plans to enter into a covered transaction is not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded, the Cooperative explained that if the covered transaction had a contract, the contract was verified to make sure the clause for suspension and debarment was included. However, if the covered transaction did not involve a contract, the Cooperative did not have procedures in place to verify the suspension and debarment requirements. A population of five covered transactions for goods or services that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from grant award funds during the audit period was identified. Three of the five covered transactions did not have documentation to show that they were verified for the suspension and debarment requirements. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were a systemic issue throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 22 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The Cooperative indicated that if the covered transaction had a contract, the contract was verified to make sure the clause for suspension and debarment was included. However, if the covered transaction did not involve a contract, the Cooperative did not have procedures in place to verify the suspension and debarment requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure vendors are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any covered transactions. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 22611-046-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 23 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Services (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2023-2024, the Cooperative operated the special education program and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure nonpublic school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total grant expenditures were posted as expended. The nonpublic proportionate share expenditures were determined by applying a percentage to the nonpublic school budgeted expenditures. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per the grant award was expended and properly reported to the IDOE as required. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 24 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Cause Through inquiry of the Cooperative management, they were unaware of the requirements to track nonpublic proportionate share expenditures directly for each member school. While the Cooperative did implement new processes and procedures to ensure expenditures were tracked by member schools starting in July 2022, all of the grant awards had been allocated to the member schools based on a percentage of the budget. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation was unable to ensure the Cooperative compliance with earmarking requirements and the Cooperative was unable to track expenditures for nonpublic services for each member school. Consequently, the amounts requested for reimbursement were not supported by actual expenditures, but rather a percentage based on the budget per member school. Because of this, expenditures were not accurately reported to the oversight agency. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure nonpublic proportionate share funds are appropriately allocated to the member school based on expenditures charged directly on behalf of the member school. Supporting documentation for these expenditures should be retained for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 22611-046-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 23 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Services (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2023-2024, the Cooperative operated the special education program and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure nonpublic school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total grant expenditures were posted as expended. The nonpublic proportionate share expenditures were determined by applying a percentage to the nonpublic school budgeted expenditures. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per the grant award was expended and properly reported to the IDOE as required. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 24 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Cause Through inquiry of the Cooperative management, they were unaware of the requirements to track nonpublic proportionate share expenditures directly for each member school. While the Cooperative did implement new processes and procedures to ensure expenditures were tracked by member schools starting in July 2022, all of the grant awards had been allocated to the member schools based on a percentage of the budget. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation was unable to ensure the Cooperative compliance with earmarking requirements and the Cooperative was unable to track expenditures for nonpublic services for each member school. Consequently, the amounts requested for reimbursement were not supported by actual expenditures, but rather a percentage based on the budget per member school. Because of this, expenditures were not accurately reported to the oversight agency. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure nonpublic proportionate share funds are appropriately allocated to the member school based on expenditures charged directly on behalf of the member school. Supporting documentation for these expenditures should be retained for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 22611-046-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 23 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Services (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2023-2024, the Cooperative operated the special education program and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure nonpublic school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total grant expenditures were posted as expended. The nonpublic proportionate share expenditures were determined by applying a percentage to the nonpublic school budgeted expenditures. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per the grant award was expended and properly reported to the IDOE as required. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 24 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Cause Through inquiry of the Cooperative management, they were unaware of the requirements to track nonpublic proportionate share expenditures directly for each member school. While the Cooperative did implement new processes and procedures to ensure expenditures were tracked by member schools starting in July 2022, all of the grant awards had been allocated to the member schools based on a percentage of the budget. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation was unable to ensure the Cooperative compliance with earmarking requirements and the Cooperative was unable to track expenditures for nonpublic services for each member school. Consequently, the amounts requested for reimbursement were not supported by actual expenditures, but rather a percentage based on the budget per member school. Because of this, expenditures were not accurately reported to the oversight agency. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure nonpublic proportionate share funds are appropriately allocated to the member school based on expenditures charged directly on behalf of the member school. Supporting documentation for these expenditures should be retained for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 22611-046-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 23 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Services (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2023-2024, the Cooperative operated the special education program and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure nonpublic school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total grant expenditures were posted as expended. The nonpublic proportionate share expenditures were determined by applying a percentage to the nonpublic school budgeted expenditures. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per the grant award was expended and properly reported to the IDOE as required. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 24 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Cause Through inquiry of the Cooperative management, they were unaware of the requirements to track nonpublic proportionate share expenditures directly for each member school. While the Cooperative did implement new processes and procedures to ensure expenditures were tracked by member schools starting in July 2022, all of the grant awards had been allocated to the member schools based on a percentage of the budget. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation was unable to ensure the Cooperative compliance with earmarking requirements and the Cooperative was unable to track expenditures for nonpublic services for each member school. Consequently, the amounts requested for reimbursement were not supported by actual expenditures, but rather a percentage based on the budget per member school. Because of this, expenditures were not accurately reported to the oversight agency. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure nonpublic proportionate share funds are appropriately allocated to the member school based on expenditures charged directly on behalf of the member school. Supporting documentation for these expenditures should be retained for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-002 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-001. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the purchase of goods and services that fell within the small purchase threshold or were considered covered transactions. Procurement - Small Purchases When the value of goods or services exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, the proper purchasing method would be the bidding process, unless the purchase meets certain other qualifications. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds: micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that proper procurement procedures for small purchases were followed. A population of two small purchase vendors for fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and a population of three small purchase venders for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, were identified. All five were selected for testing. For three of the five small purchase transactions, totaling $102,026, the School Corporation did not obtain price or rate quotes nor was there documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement method used. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. The School Corporation had three covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 during the audit period that were identified and selected for testing. Payments to the vendors, totaling $194,537, were made without verifying if the vendors were suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participation in federal awards. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318(a) states: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non- Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327." 2 CFR 200.318(i) states: "The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price." Indiana Code 5-22-8-3(d) states: "If the purchasing agent receives a satisfactory quote, the purchasing agent shall award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive offeror for each line or class of supplies required." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 2 CFR 200.320 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award. (a) Informal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal award does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), as defined in § 200.1, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are not required. The non-Federal entity may use informal procurement methods to expedite the completion of its transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The informal methods used for procurement of property or services at or below the SAT include: . . . (2) Small purchases — (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity. . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. The School Corporation did not adequately perform suspension and debarment procedures and were not aware of small purchase requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, price or rate quotes were not obtained for small purchases and vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure rate or price quotes are obtained for small purchases and ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-002 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-001. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the purchase of goods and services that fell within the small purchase threshold or were considered covered transactions. Procurement - Small Purchases When the value of goods or services exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, the proper purchasing method would be the bidding process, unless the purchase meets certain other qualifications. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds: micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that proper procurement procedures for small purchases were followed. A population of two small purchase vendors for fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and a population of three small purchase venders for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, were identified. All five were selected for testing. For three of the five small purchase transactions, totaling $102,026, the School Corporation did not obtain price or rate quotes nor was there documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement method used. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. The School Corporation had three covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 during the audit period that were identified and selected for testing. Payments to the vendors, totaling $194,537, were made without verifying if the vendors were suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participation in federal awards. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318(a) states: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non- Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327." 2 CFR 200.318(i) states: "The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price." Indiana Code 5-22-8-3(d) states: "If the purchasing agent receives a satisfactory quote, the purchasing agent shall award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive offeror for each line or class of supplies required." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 2 CFR 200.320 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award. (a) Informal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal award does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), as defined in § 200.1, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are not required. The non-Federal entity may use informal procurement methods to expedite the completion of its transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The informal methods used for procurement of property or services at or below the SAT include: . . . (2) Small purchases — (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity. . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. The School Corporation did not adequately perform suspension and debarment procedures and were not aware of small purchase requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, price or rate quotes were not obtained for small purchases and vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure rate or price quotes are obtained for small purchases and ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-002 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-001. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the purchase of goods and services that fell within the small purchase threshold or were considered covered transactions. Procurement - Small Purchases When the value of goods or services exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, the proper purchasing method would be the bidding process, unless the purchase meets certain other qualifications. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds: micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that proper procurement procedures for small purchases were followed. A population of two small purchase vendors for fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and a population of three small purchase venders for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, were identified. All five were selected for testing. For three of the five small purchase transactions, totaling $102,026, the School Corporation did not obtain price or rate quotes nor was there documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement method used. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. The School Corporation had three covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 during the audit period that were identified and selected for testing. Payments to the vendors, totaling $194,537, were made without verifying if the vendors were suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participation in federal awards. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318(a) states: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non- Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327." 2 CFR 200.318(i) states: "The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price." Indiana Code 5-22-8-3(d) states: "If the purchasing agent receives a satisfactory quote, the purchasing agent shall award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive offeror for each line or class of supplies required." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 2 CFR 200.320 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award. (a) Informal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal award does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), as defined in § 200.1, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are not required. The non-Federal entity may use informal procurement methods to expedite the completion of its transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The informal methods used for procurement of property or services at or below the SAT include: . . . (2) Small purchases — (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity. . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. The School Corporation did not adequately perform suspension and debarment procedures and were not aware of small purchase requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, price or rate quotes were not obtained for small purchases and vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure rate or price quotes are obtained for small purchases and ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-002 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-001. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the purchase of goods and services that fell within the small purchase threshold or were considered covered transactions. Procurement - Small Purchases When the value of goods or services exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, the proper purchasing method would be the bidding process, unless the purchase meets certain other qualifications. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds: micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that proper procurement procedures for small purchases were followed. A population of two small purchase vendors for fiscal year ending June 30, 2023; and a population of three small purchase venders for fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, were identified. All five were selected for testing. For three of the five small purchase transactions, totaling $102,026, the School Corporation did not obtain price or rate quotes nor was there documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement method used. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor. The School Corporation had not designed or implemented internal controls, which would consist of policies and procedures, to ensure that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. The School Corporation had three covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 during the audit period that were identified and selected for testing. Payments to the vendors, totaling $194,537, were made without verifying if the vendors were suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participation in federal awards. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318(a) states: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non- Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327." 2 CFR 200.318(i) states: "The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price." Indiana Code 5-22-8-3(d) states: "If the purchasing agent receives a satisfactory quote, the purchasing agent shall award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive offeror for each line or class of supplies required." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 2 CFR 200.320 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award. (a) Informal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal award does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), as defined in § 200.1, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are not required. The non-Federal entity may use informal procurement methods to expedite the completion of its transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The informal methods used for procurement of property or services at or below the SAT include: . . . (2) Small purchases — (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity. . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. The School Corporation did not adequately perform suspension and debarment procedures and were not aware of small purchase requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, price or rate quotes were not obtained for small purchases and vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure rate or price quotes are obtained for small purchases and ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to determining the eligibility of a child to receive free or reduced-price meals. A child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on the Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the Head Start program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application for free or reduced-price meals. The School Corporation contracted with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) for the operation of the food service program during the audit period. The FSMC had a dedicated representative who worked exclusively with the School Corporation. The School Corporation did not have policies or procedures in place to ensure compliance with determining the eligibility of students for free and reduce price meals as noted in the following: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Direct Certifications The FSMC representative was responsible for generating and reviewing the direct certification file. The FSMC representative downloaded the direct certification file from the State of Indiana database and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. There was no documentation of review by the School Corporation to ensure the upload had been completed, that the upload had imported correctly, or the students' statuses were updated accordingly. Applications The School Corporation utilized a POS system to determine eligibility of the applications submitted for free and reduced price meals based on income eligibility guidelines. The income eligibility guidelines were input by the FSMC representative and reviewed by a knowledgeable school employee for the year ended June 30, 2024; however, there was no documented review or approval in place to ensure the guidelines were properly entered for the year ended June 30, 2023. Applications were submitted online as part of the annual registration process, and, when fully complete, the determination of eligibility was completed by the POS system based on the inputted income eligibility guidelines. The School Corporation relied solely on the POS system to calculate and determine the eligibility status of student applications. There was no documentation of procedures or review to ensure the software system was accurately calculating and determining the student eligibility status. Of the 30 students receiving free and reduced-price meals that were tested, the following noncompliance was noted:  Two students were receiving free meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for reduced-priced meals.  Two students were receiving reduced-price meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for free meals. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 7 CFR 245.6(c)(4) states: "The local educational agency must use the income information provided by the household on the application to calculate the household's total current income. When a household submits an application containing complete documentation, as defined in § 245.2, and the household's total current income is at or below the eligibility limits specified in the Income Eligibility Guidelines as defined in § 245.2, the children in that household must be approved for free or reduced price benefits, as applicable." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads, review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system, and application records were not properly implemented. The School Corporation relied on the FSMC and the POS to determine eligibility without an oversight process in place. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation did not calculate eligibility accurately. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches is accurately determined and that all documentation is retained. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to determining the eligibility of a child to receive free or reduced-price meals. A child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on the Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the Head Start program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application for free or reduced-price meals. The School Corporation contracted with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) for the operation of the food service program during the audit period. The FSMC had a dedicated representative who worked exclusively with the School Corporation. The School Corporation did not have policies or procedures in place to ensure compliance with determining the eligibility of students for free and reduce price meals as noted in the following: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Direct Certifications The FSMC representative was responsible for generating and reviewing the direct certification file. The FSMC representative downloaded the direct certification file from the State of Indiana database and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. There was no documentation of review by the School Corporation to ensure the upload had been completed, that the upload had imported correctly, or the students' statuses were updated accordingly. Applications The School Corporation utilized a POS system to determine eligibility of the applications submitted for free and reduced price meals based on income eligibility guidelines. The income eligibility guidelines were input by the FSMC representative and reviewed by a knowledgeable school employee for the year ended June 30, 2024; however, there was no documented review or approval in place to ensure the guidelines were properly entered for the year ended June 30, 2023. Applications were submitted online as part of the annual registration process, and, when fully complete, the determination of eligibility was completed by the POS system based on the inputted income eligibility guidelines. The School Corporation relied solely on the POS system to calculate and determine the eligibility status of student applications. There was no documentation of procedures or review to ensure the software system was accurately calculating and determining the student eligibility status. Of the 30 students receiving free and reduced-price meals that were tested, the following noncompliance was noted:  Two students were receiving free meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for reduced-priced meals.  Two students were receiving reduced-price meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for free meals. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 7 CFR 245.6(c)(4) states: "The local educational agency must use the income information provided by the household on the application to calculate the household's total current income. When a household submits an application containing complete documentation, as defined in § 245.2, and the household's total current income is at or below the eligibility limits specified in the Income Eligibility Guidelines as defined in § 245.2, the children in that household must be approved for free or reduced price benefits, as applicable." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads, review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system, and application records were not properly implemented. The School Corporation relied on the FSMC and the POS to determine eligibility without an oversight process in place. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation did not calculate eligibility accurately. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches is accurately determined and that all documentation is retained. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to determining the eligibility of a child to receive free or reduced-price meals. A child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on the Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the Head Start program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application for free or reduced-price meals. The School Corporation contracted with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) for the operation of the food service program during the audit period. The FSMC had a dedicated representative who worked exclusively with the School Corporation. The School Corporation did not have policies or procedures in place to ensure compliance with determining the eligibility of students for free and reduce price meals as noted in the following: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Direct Certifications The FSMC representative was responsible for generating and reviewing the direct certification file. The FSMC representative downloaded the direct certification file from the State of Indiana database and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. There was no documentation of review by the School Corporation to ensure the upload had been completed, that the upload had imported correctly, or the students' statuses were updated accordingly. Applications The School Corporation utilized a POS system to determine eligibility of the applications submitted for free and reduced price meals based on income eligibility guidelines. The income eligibility guidelines were input by the FSMC representative and reviewed by a knowledgeable school employee for the year ended June 30, 2024; however, there was no documented review or approval in place to ensure the guidelines were properly entered for the year ended June 30, 2023. Applications were submitted online as part of the annual registration process, and, when fully complete, the determination of eligibility was completed by the POS system based on the inputted income eligibility guidelines. The School Corporation relied solely on the POS system to calculate and determine the eligibility status of student applications. There was no documentation of procedures or review to ensure the software system was accurately calculating and determining the student eligibility status. Of the 30 students receiving free and reduced-price meals that were tested, the following noncompliance was noted:  Two students were receiving free meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for reduced-priced meals.  Two students were receiving reduced-price meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for free meals. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 7 CFR 245.6(c)(4) states: "The local educational agency must use the income information provided by the household on the application to calculate the household's total current income. When a household submits an application containing complete documentation, as defined in § 245.2, and the household's total current income is at or below the eligibility limits specified in the Income Eligibility Guidelines as defined in § 245.2, the children in that household must be approved for free or reduced price benefits, as applicable." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads, review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system, and application records were not properly implemented. The School Corporation relied on the FSMC and the POS to determine eligibility without an oversight process in place. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation did not calculate eligibility accurately. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches is accurately determined and that all documentation is retained. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): SY2022-2023, SY2023-2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to determining the eligibility of a child to receive free or reduced-price meals. A child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on the Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the Head Start program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application for free or reduced-price meals. The School Corporation contracted with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) for the operation of the food service program during the audit period. The FSMC had a dedicated representative who worked exclusively with the School Corporation. The School Corporation did not have policies or procedures in place to ensure compliance with determining the eligibility of students for free and reduce price meals as noted in the following: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Direct Certifications The FSMC representative was responsible for generating and reviewing the direct certification file. The FSMC representative downloaded the direct certification file from the State of Indiana database and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. There was no documentation of review by the School Corporation to ensure the upload had been completed, that the upload had imported correctly, or the students' statuses were updated accordingly. Applications The School Corporation utilized a POS system to determine eligibility of the applications submitted for free and reduced price meals based on income eligibility guidelines. The income eligibility guidelines were input by the FSMC representative and reviewed by a knowledgeable school employee for the year ended June 30, 2024; however, there was no documented review or approval in place to ensure the guidelines were properly entered for the year ended June 30, 2023. Applications were submitted online as part of the annual registration process, and, when fully complete, the determination of eligibility was completed by the POS system based on the inputted income eligibility guidelines. The School Corporation relied solely on the POS system to calculate and determine the eligibility status of student applications. There was no documentation of procedures or review to ensure the software system was accurately calculating and determining the student eligibility status. Of the 30 students receiving free and reduced-price meals that were tested, the following noncompliance was noted:  Two students were receiving free meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for reduced-priced meals.  Two students were receiving reduced-price meals but, based on reported income, were determined to be eligible for free meals. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 7 CFR 245.6(c)(4) states: "The local educational agency must use the income information provided by the household on the application to calculate the household's total current income. When a household submits an application containing complete documentation, as defined in § 245.2, and the household's total current income is at or below the eligibility limits specified in the Income Eligibility Guidelines as defined in § 245.2, the children in that household must be approved for free or reduced price benefits, as applicable." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads, review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system, and application records were not properly implemented. The School Corporation relied on the FSMC and the POS to determine eligibility without an oversight process in place. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation did not calculate eligibility accurately. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches is accurately determined and that all documentation is retained. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 23611-046-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 21 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Interlocal (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2022-2023, the Cooperative operated the special education programs and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreements were between the Indiana Department of Education and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. However, there was inadequate oversight performed by the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with the Procurement and Suspension and the Debarment compliance requirement. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the suspension and debarment requirements. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure compliance with the suspension and debarment requirements. Prior to entering into covered transactions with grant award funds, entities are required to verify that vendors under covered transactions are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods or services awarded under procurement and nonprocurement transactions (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the System for Award Management (SAM) exclusions, collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Upon inquiry of the Cooperative in order to review procedures in place for verifying that an entity with which it plans to enter into a covered transaction is not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded, the Cooperative explained that if the covered transaction had a contract, the contract was verified to make sure the clause for suspension and debarment was included. However, if the covered transaction did not involve a contract, the Cooperative did not have procedures in place to verify the suspension and debarment requirements. A population of five covered transactions for goods or services that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from grant award funds during the audit period was identified. Three of the five covered transactions did not have documentation to show that they were verified for the suspension and debarment requirements. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were a systemic issue throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 22 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The Cooperative indicated that if the covered transaction had a contract, the contract was verified to make sure the clause for suspension and debarment was included. However, if the covered transaction did not involve a contract, the Cooperative did not have procedures in place to verify the suspension and debarment requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure vendors are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any covered transactions. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 23611-046-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 21 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Interlocal (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2022-2023, the Cooperative operated the special education programs and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreements were between the Indiana Department of Education and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. However, there was inadequate oversight performed by the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with the Procurement and Suspension and the Debarment compliance requirement. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the suspension and debarment requirements. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure compliance with the suspension and debarment requirements. Prior to entering into covered transactions with grant award funds, entities are required to verify that vendors under covered transactions are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods or services awarded under procurement and nonprocurement transactions (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the System for Award Management (SAM) exclusions, collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Upon inquiry of the Cooperative in order to review procedures in place for verifying that an entity with which it plans to enter into a covered transaction is not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded, the Cooperative explained that if the covered transaction had a contract, the contract was verified to make sure the clause for suspension and debarment was included. However, if the covered transaction did not involve a contract, the Cooperative did not have procedures in place to verify the suspension and debarment requirements. A population of five covered transactions for goods or services that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from grant award funds during the audit period was identified. Three of the five covered transactions did not have documentation to show that they were verified for the suspension and debarment requirements. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were a systemic issue throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 22 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (a) Checking the SAM.gov Exclusions, or (b) Collecting a certification from that person, or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The Cooperative indicated that if the covered transaction had a contract, the contract was verified to make sure the clause for suspension and debarment was included. However, if the covered transaction did not involve a contract, the Cooperative did not have procedures in place to verify the suspension and debarment requirements. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure vendors are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any covered transactions. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 22611-046-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 23 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Services (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2023-2024, the Cooperative operated the special education program and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure nonpublic school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total grant expenditures were posted as expended. The nonpublic proportionate share expenditures were determined by applying a percentage to the nonpublic school budgeted expenditures. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per the grant award was expended and properly reported to the IDOE as required. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 24 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Cause Through inquiry of the Cooperative management, they were unaware of the requirements to track nonpublic proportionate share expenditures directly for each member school. While the Cooperative did implement new processes and procedures to ensure expenditures were tracked by member schools starting in July 2022, all of the grant awards had been allocated to the member schools based on a percentage of the budget. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation was unable to ensure the Cooperative compliance with earmarking requirements and the Cooperative was unable to track expenditures for nonpublic services for each member school. Consequently, the amounts requested for reimbursement were not supported by actual expenditures, but rather a percentage based on the budget per member school. Because of this, expenditures were not accurately reported to the oversight agency. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure nonpublic proportionate share funds are appropriately allocated to the member school based on expenditures charged directly on behalf of the member school. Supporting documentation for these expenditures should be retained for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 22611-046-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 23 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Services (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2023-2024, the Cooperative operated the special education program and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure nonpublic school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total grant expenditures were posted as expended. The nonpublic proportionate share expenditures were determined by applying a percentage to the nonpublic school budgeted expenditures. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per the grant award was expended and properly reported to the IDOE as required. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 24 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Cause Through inquiry of the Cooperative management, they were unaware of the requirements to track nonpublic proportionate share expenditures directly for each member school. While the Cooperative did implement new processes and procedures to ensure expenditures were tracked by member schools starting in July 2022, all of the grant awards had been allocated to the member schools based on a percentage of the budget. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation was unable to ensure the Cooperative compliance with earmarking requirements and the Cooperative was unable to track expenditures for nonpublic services for each member school. Consequently, the amounts requested for reimbursement were not supported by actual expenditures, but rather a percentage based on the budget per member school. Because of this, expenditures were not accurately reported to the oversight agency. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure nonpublic proportionate share funds are appropriately allocated to the member school based on expenditures charged directly on behalf of the member school. Supporting documentation for these expenditures should be retained for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 22611-046-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 23 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Services (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2023-2024, the Cooperative operated the special education program and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure nonpublic school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total grant expenditures were posted as expended. The nonpublic proportionate share expenditures were determined by applying a percentage to the nonpublic school budgeted expenditures. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per the grant award was expended and properly reported to the IDOE as required. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 24 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Cause Through inquiry of the Cooperative management, they were unaware of the requirements to track nonpublic proportionate share expenditures directly for each member school. While the Cooperative did implement new processes and procedures to ensure expenditures were tracked by member schools starting in July 2022, all of the grant awards had been allocated to the member schools based on a percentage of the budget. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation was unable to ensure the Cooperative compliance with earmarking requirements and the Cooperative was unable to track expenditures for nonpublic services for each member school. Consequently, the amounts requested for reimbursement were not supported by actual expenditures, but rather a percentage based on the budget per member school. Because of this, expenditures were not accurately reported to the oversight agency. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure nonpublic proportionate share funds are appropriately allocated to the member school based on expenditures charged directly on behalf of the member school. Supporting documentation for these expenditures should be retained for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-046-PN01, 22611-046-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 23 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Porter County Education Services (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2023-2024, the Cooperative operated the special education program and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure nonpublic school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total grant expenditures were posted as expended. The nonpublic proportionate share expenditures were determined by applying a percentage to the nonpublic school budgeted expenditures. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per the grant award was expended and properly reported to the IDOE as required. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to the 22611-046-PN01 and 22611-046-ARP grant awards. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 24 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BOONE TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Cause Through inquiry of the Cooperative management, they were unaware of the requirements to track nonpublic proportionate share expenditures directly for each member school. While the Cooperative did implement new processes and procedures to ensure expenditures were tracked by member schools starting in July 2022, all of the grant awards had been allocated to the member schools based on a percentage of the budget. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation was unable to ensure the Cooperative compliance with earmarking requirements and the Cooperative was unable to track expenditures for nonpublic services for each member school. Consequently, the amounts requested for reimbursement were not supported by actual expenditures, but rather a percentage based on the budget per member school. Because of this, expenditures were not accurately reported to the oversight agency. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure nonpublic proportionate share funds are appropriately allocated to the member school based on expenditures charged directly on behalf of the member school. Supporting documentation for these expenditures should be retained for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.