Corrective Action Plan December 18, 2025 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign 135 Santilli Highway Everett, MA 02149 Lawrence Family Development Charter School respectfully submits the following corrective action plan for the ye...
Corrective Action Plan December 18, 2025 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign 135 Santilli Highway Everett, MA 02149 Lawrence Family Development Charter School respectfully submits the following corrective action plan for the year ended June 30, 2025: AAF CPAS 50 Washington Street Westborough, MA 01581 Audit period: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 (Fiscal Year 2025) The findings from the December 22nd schedule of findings and questioned costs are discussed below. The findings are numbered consistently with the numbers assigned in the schedule. FINDINGS - FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT FINDINGS SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY 2025-01 Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement Board (MTRB) Remittances Regulations outlined in DESE's Charter School Audit Guide require Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System (MTRS) payroll withholdings to be remitted to the MTRB within ten days of the following month. During our compliance testing, we noted nine instances, out of twelve months tested, for which the MTRS payroll withholdings were not remitted to the MTRB within ten days of the following month. Recommendation: In order to comply with Commonwealth of Massachusetts' MTRB regulations and charter school compliance requirements established by DESE, management should ensure that controls are in place to ensure all MTRS payroll withholdings are remitted timely. Action Taken: We concur with the recommendation, and LFDCS has implemented a policy requiring all MTRS payments to be completed within the first ten calendar days of each month. Effective Date: December 1, 2025 SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY 2025-02 Payroll Records The Federal government requires Form I-9's be maintained for all eligible employees. Out of the twenty-five selections tested, we noted one 1-9 form which was not properly completed by the School. We also noted four additional selections where the 1-9 form was unable to be located. We also noted there was no supporting documentation maintained for two W-4 forms. The School experienced turnover in the accounting and finance department during fiscal year 2025. Review of required document was not performed on a timely basis. Because of the failure to maintain required forms, ineligible employees may be added to payroll. Recommendation: Procedures should be implemented requiring the completion of required forms and the formal review and approval should be performed prior to adding employees to payroll. Action Taken: We concur with the recommendation, and LFDCS has implemented procedures to review personnel files for completeness and accuracy before new employees begin working at the school. Effective Date: December 1, 2025 2025-03 General Ledger Maintenance During fiscal year 2025, several general ledger accounts were not properly reconciled to their respective subsidiary ledgers, journals, or supporting schedules. In certain instances, reconciliations were prepared; however, variances were not clearly identified, investigated, or resolved. In other cases, reconciliations were performed in an untimely manner. The accounts affected included revenue and the related Federal expenditures, cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and due from Lawrence Prospera (the Fund). Unreconciled variances were also noted in various expense and accrued expense balances. Recommendation: Management should implement policies and procedures to ensure that all general ledger accounts are reconciled to the respective subsidiary ledgers, journals, or supporting schedules on a timely basis. Any variances identified during the reconciliation process should be promptly investigated and resolved to maintain the accuracy and reliability of the financial statements and ensure compliance with Federal grant reporting requirements. Implementing these procedures will strengthen internal controls, help prevent potential misstatements in the financial statements, and facilitate a smoother and more efficient audit process. Action In-Process: We concur with the auditor's recommendation. The LFDCS is in the process of implementing an accounting system while also developing accounting policies that set comprehensive standards and procedures to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the General Ledger (GL). The completed policy will include internal controls to safeguard financial data, prevent errors, and reduce the risk of fraud. It will also require segregation of duties by defining distinct roles for authorization, data entry, and review so that no individual is responsible for both recording transactions and reconciling accounts. These measures will provide accurate verification of assets and liabilities through monthly balance sheet account reconciliations and will enable timely and reliable financial reporting and budget-to-actual variation analysis. Anticipated Effective Date: March 1, 2026 2025-04 Bank Reconciliations During the fiscal year 2025 audit, we noted that the School's operating bank account reconciliations had not been prepared for several months after month end and did not agree to the reconciled bank balance. As a result, a large year-end adjustment was required before the audit to record previously unrecorded transactions in the general ledger. When bank reconciliations are not performed consistently and in a timely manner, there is an increased risk of unauthorized transactions or bank errors going undetected. Management should prepare bank reconciliations immediately upon receipt of the monthly bank statement, further, any outstanding checks which have not cleared within a reasonable time should be investigated upon completion of the monthly reconciliation. Recommendation: There is a lack of segregation of duties as it relates to the bank reconciliation process. The same employee who prepares the bank reconciliations also records the related journal entries in the general ledger. In addition, we did not observe evidence of management review or approval of the bank reconciliations prior to recording activity in the accounting records. This lack of segregation of duties increases the risk of errors or potentially resulting in misstatements of cash balances or unauthorized transactions. Action In-Process: We concur with the auditor's recommendation. Once the accounting system implementation is complete, LFDCS will adopt a reconciliation policy that ensures all cash transactions are properly recorded, complete, and any differences are resolved within ten days of the bank statement closing date. High-volume accounts will be reconciled weekly or more frequently as needed. To maintain sufficient segregation of duties, the Finance Team will prepare the reconciliations while the Director of Finance or another designated approver review and approve them. Under no circumstances will the same person prepare and approve the reconciliation. Additionally, the School will set up an integration between its bank and QuickBooks Online so that bank-cleared transactions are automatically downloaded, reducing manual data entry and increasing the efficiency and accuracy of the reconciliation process. Any discrepancies identified during the process will be investigated and corrected within ten days of month-end, and all reconciliations will be securely saved and readily available. Anticipated Effective Date: March 1, 2026 MATERIAL INSTANCE OF NONCOMPLIANCE 2025-05 Certified Procurement Officer Regulations outlined in the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE) Charter School Audit Guide require a charter school administrator who serves as procurement officer to have a valid Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) designation. During fiscal year 2025, we noted that the School does not have any administrator who has MCPPO designation. Recommendation: In order to comply with DESE's procurement requirements, management should ensure that proper controls are in place and operating effectively to ensure that a designated individual has enrolled and receives a valid MCPPO designation. Management should also develop a checklist that tracks expiration date for MCPPO eligible employees to ensure timely renewal. Action In-Process: We concur with the auditor's recommendation. LFDCS acknowledges the requirement outlined in the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE) Charter School Audit Guide that a charter school administrator serving as the procurement officer must hold a valid Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) designation. To comply with this requirement, the directors of facilities and finance in addition to the grant accountant will enroll in the MCPPO certification program offered by the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General and ensure they complete the training if not certification process. LFDCS will also implement internal controls to track MCPPO certification status and expiration dates to ensure compliance and timely renewal. The Finance Director completed the initial course, Public Contracting Overview, on December 17th, 2025. Anticipated Effective Date: May 1, 2026 If the Department of Education and Secondary Education has questions regarding LFDCS's plans, please call Mark Ventre, Director of Finance, at 978.216.0461, extension 185. Sincerely yours, Signature : Mark Ventre Email: mventre@lfdcs.org Mark Ventre Director of Finance Lawrence Family Development Charter School