Audit 392585

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEAD START CLUSTER - AL NUMBER 93.600 AUDIT PERIOD - YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025 2025-001 Activities Allowed/Unallowed and Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Criteria or specific requirement: Effective internal controls require that employee compensation be calculated in accordance with the board approved salary schedule and employment contracts and that payroll amounts be reviewed and adjusted when employment terms change, including early resignation or separation. Condition: During our examination of Head Start payroll expenditures, we noted controls over compensation calculations were not operating effectively. Two employees' contracts were not properly tied to the board approved salary schedule, resulting in underpayments totaling $600. Additionally for one of the employees previously noted, the employee's final compensation was not recalculated at the time of resignation to determine the amount of earned pay, resulting in a net overpayment of salary and fringe benefits of $949 for this employee. Cause: Lack of internal controls to ensure employees are paid in accordance with applicable approved salary schedule and to ensure final earned compensation is recalculated and reviewed. Effect or potential effect: Compensation was not consistently calculated in accordance with approved salary schedules and actual employment periods. Questioned costs: The amount of questioned costs was $949. Context: An examination of Head Start payroll expenditures for 3 employees ($37,181) from a population of 29 employees ($586,538). Our sample was not a statistically valid sample. Identification as a repeat finding: No Recommendation: The District should strengthen controls to ensure all compensation amounts are verified against the approved salary schedule and ensure final earned pay is recalculated and reviewed. Views of responsible officials: The District, under new office management has already implemented a new procedure that reviews the contracts against board approved salary schedules before the employees are paid. Also, once an employee separates from the District, earned pay is recalculated and reviewed to determine if there is a difference in pay. Moving forward the District will ensure that we continue with these procedures that have been put in place with new office management staff.