Audit 409272

Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Instance of Noncompliance: Meal Count Reporting and Reconciliation U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Cluster Passed Through State of Iowa Department of Education Federal Assistance Listing Number: 10.555, 10.559, 10.553 Federal Award Year: 2025Criteria: Districts are required are required to submit accurate claims for reimbursement and maintain records supporting the number of meals claimed for reimbursement for the National School Lunch Program. Condition: During audit procedures over the School Nutrition Cluster, we identified multiple instances in the National School Lunch Program in which the number of claims submitted was incorrect. Cause: The District did not have an effective review and reconciliation control in place to compare meal-count support to the claim summary reports before reimbursement claims were submitted. In addition, meal-count and eligibility reports were not consistently generated and retained at the time the claims were prepared. As a result, subsequent changes in student eligibility status may have affected the reports available to support the meal counts claimed during the applicable reporting periods. Effect: Meal counts reported for reimbursement were not fully supported by contemporaneous records, resulting in noncompliance with reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Without an effective review and reconciliation control, errors in meal counts or claim summary reports may not be identified before reimbursement claims are submitted, increasing the risk that federal reimbursement claims could be inaccurate. Questioned Costs: Known questioned costs identified were below the reporting threshold and are not reported in this finding. Recommendation: We recommend that the District implement a documented monthly review and reconciliation process before reimbursement claims are submitted. The reconciliation should compare meal-count and eligibility support to the claim summary reports, identify and explain any differences, retain support for adjustments, and include evidence of review and approval by an individual independent of claim preparation. We also recommend that management generate and retain meal-count and eligibility reports for each applicable reporting period at the time claims are prepared to ensure support reflects student eligibility status as of the applicable claim period. Management Response: Management acknowledges the finding and the District will generate and retain monthly meal-count and eligibility reports at the time reimbursement claims are prepared. The District will also implement a documented review and reconciliation process for National School Lunch Program reimbursement claims.