Subject: Education Stabilization Fund – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements
Federal Agency: Department of Education
Federal Program: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund
Assistance Listing Number: 84.425D
Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D21001...
Subject: Education Stabilization Fund – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements
Federal Agency: Department of Education
Federal Program: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund
Assistance Listing Number: 84.425D
Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D210013
Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education
Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements
Audit Findings: Material Weakness
Condition: An effective internal control system was not in place at the School Corporation in order to ensure
compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate
Requirements compliance requirements.
Context: For 1 of 2 sample items tested, we noted the School Corporation expended approximately
$212,000 on science room improvements, which was funded with ESSER II (84.425D) grant awards. The School
Corporation did not properly include Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements in the vendor contract. Additionally,
the School Corporation did not obtain the weekly payroll reports certifications from the construction vendor to
monitor compliance with Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements. Therefore, no review was performed to ensure
that pay rates complied with the federal wage rate requirements. The lack of controls and noncompliance was
isolated to fiscal year 2023.
Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and
has prepared a corrective action plan.
Responsible party and timeline for completion: Kendra Sandquist, Director of Finance has assessed all
ESSER grant award expenditures, notably the capital projects and equipment purchases. In an effort to rectify
the Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements, D&S Builders, contractor for science room improvements, was
contacted. While their contract did not specify Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements, D&S Builders was aware
that the project was Federally-funded and therefore Davis-Bacon requirements were adhered to including
payment to laborers meeting or exceeding LaGrange County prevailing wage determinations. Certified payroll
reports should have been obtained and reviewed for compliance for the duration of the project from May 2022
through August 2022. Future Federally-funded projects will specify Davis-Bacon wage rate requirement clauses within the contracts and internal controls will be followed to ensure compliance including, but not limited to,
obtaining weekly certified payroll reports and comparing to the prevailing wages. This Corrective Action was
completed on December 4, 2024