Audit 392575

Material Weakness Material Noncompliance Program: Assistance Listing 84.010A - Title I Grants To Local Educational Agencies Assistance Listing: 84.02784.173– Special Education Cluster (IDEA) Assistance Listing: 84.425U– Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ARP ESSER) Repeat Finding: Yes Criteria: 2 CFR 200.302 and 2 CFR 200.303 outline key requirements for non-federal entities managing federal awards. Section 200.302 mandates that a financial management system be in place to prepare reports as required by both general and program-specific terms and conditions. It also requires tracing funds to a level of expenditure that demonstrates compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms of the federal award, including comparing expenditures with the budget for each federal award. Section 200.303 requires non-federal entities to establish and maintain effective internal controls over federal awards, ensuring reasonable assurance that the entity is managing the award in compliance with federal laws, regulations, and the award's terms and conditions. Condition: The District’s internal controls over budgeting for federal grants are insufficient to ensure compliance with federal regulations and to stay within the budgetary limits established by the federal awards, as specified in the Mississippi Comprehensive Automated Performance-based System (MCAPS), administered through the Mississippi Department of Education. Specifically, the District has not adequately adhered to budgeting restraints outlined for its federal grants. Our audit procedures identified the following instances where actual expenditures appear to exceed the budgeted amounts:  ESSER ARP III grant, totaling $204,010.20.  SPED Cluster - IDEA Part B grant, totaling $12,819.75.  Title I, Part A grant, totaling $10,224.19. Context/ Perspective: This finding is a result of our comparisons of budget items in the Mississippi Department of Education’ MCAPS system to actual amounts spent in major programs. This condition cited appears to be a systematic issue. Cause: The District did not properly monitor budget limits established in MCAPS to ensure that budgeting requirements were fulfilled. Effect: Failure to remain within established budget limits in MCAPS could affect future eligibility for federal award programs or result in a loss or misappropriation of public assets. Questioned Costs: $204,010.20 (ARP ESSER III) Recommendation: The District should establish additional internal controls to ensure that it remains within budget limits for each grant maintained in MCAPS. Views of Responsible Officials: The Auditee’s Corrective Action Plan lists the District’s response to the findings.