The School District concurs with the findings reported in Finding 2023-004 and does not dispute the details reported under the Criteria or Specific Requirement section, Condition section, and Effect section of the report. Your findings identify charging of unallowable costs that involved federal fun...
The School District concurs with the findings reported in Finding 2023-004 and does not dispute the details reported under the Criteria or Specific Requirement section, Condition section, and Effect section of the report. Your findings identify charging of unallowable costs that involved federal funds received by the School District. You noted that the unallowable costs involved payment of employment compensation to an employee on multiple dates, during times and for reasons that were suspect and unauthorized.
The School District also concurs with the guidance you provide in the Recommendation section of the report. Corrective actions are already being taken, and training has already begun. The School Board will adopt appropriate policies to ensure appropriate oversight over the manner in which funding is expended for employee compensation, including situations when the sources of funding involve federal awards that obligate the School District to meet specific control requirements. Currently, the School District is reviewing all uses of federal funds, starting with Title 1, the 21st Century Center Learning Center Cohort, and the Education Stabilization Fund. The following additional corrective steps will be taken by the Superintendent:
1. All change of job assignments, program assignments and/or employee compensation must be approved by the Superintendent and memorialized in writing as evidence of approval. The Human Resources Department shall cause the necessary documentation containing the Superintendent's approval to be prepared, signed, and maintained in employee payroll and personnel records, and ensure that employee compensation is paid when owed for the appropriate amount(s).
2. The Superintendent will require the employees, supervisors, and management operating or overseeing individual programs and operations to become and remain familiar with their respective program and/or operation requirements, including those that govern which costs are allowable/authorized and steps required to demonstrate compliance.
3. In light of the Findings, the Superintendent will also identify one or more key administrative staff members who will be tasked with overseeing the use of federal funds for Title I, the 21st Center Learning Center Cohort, and the Education Stabilization Fund.
4. The Superintendent will direct staff to immediately confer with general counsel and with appropriate federal or state agency points of contact when compliance steps or obligations are unknown or require clarification.
5. Individuals compensated through federal funds shall be obligated to comply with applicable rules as a condition of employment. No staff member will have lone or sole responsibility for administering or overseeing administration and/or payment of their own compensation from federal funding sources.
6. At least twice annually, the Superintendent shall direct a review of wheterher funds have been appropriately reused for costs that are authorized and allowable. Title I, the 21st Century Center Learning Center Cohort, the Education Stablization Fund, and other programs/operations where noncompliance is known or suspected will be reviewed at least four times during the following school year, or more frequently when deemed necessary by the Superintendent. Additional program or operation areas may be identified for review through random sampling.
Training on the rules governing authorized and allowable costs and expenditures of federal funds shall occur by August 12, 2024, prior to the start of the 2024-2025 school term. Training will be conducted by the Superintendent (Sam Moore), CFO (DaVona Howard), general counsel (Doug Lawrence), members of the School District's business office staff and others designated by the Superintendent.