2024 - 012 Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Justice Federal Program Name: Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants Assistance Listing Number: 16. 710 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: l SJCOPS-23-GG-01715-TECP - 2023 Award Period: 12/29/2022 - 12/31 /2024 Type of Finding • Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance • Other Matters Criteria or specific requirement: According to §200.303 Internal controls of 2 CFR Part 200, the recipient and subrecipient must establish, document, and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the recipient or subrecipient is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. According to Part 3 of the Compliance Supplement 2024, compliance testing of performance and special reports is only required for data, identified by agencies in parts 4 and 5 as key line items, that are quantifiable and are capable of evaluation against objective criteria stated in the statutes, regulations, contract or grant agreements pertaining to the program. Performance and special reports in parts 4 and 5 are assumed to meet the above criteria. However, if an agency does not identify key line items for a performance or special report, auditors are only required to test that the report was submitted in a timely manner and no other procedures are required. According to the terms and conditions of the award, the City is responsible for submitting semi-annual programmatic performance reports that describe project activities during the reporting period. Performance reports are due August 30 and March 1. Condition: During our testing, we noted one of the three performance reports was not submitted timely. Questioned costs: None Context: During our testing, it was noted that one of the three performance reports was not submitted timely. The performance report for the reporting period end date January 31 , 2024 and due March 1, 2024 was submitted on March 11 , 2024. Cause: Management oversight. The City did not submit the performance report by the due date. Effect: The auditor noted an instance of noncompliance. Noncompliance results in untimely submission of information to the federal agency. Recommendation: We recommend the City establish a reporting calendar. We recommend the City periodically reviews the completeness and accuracy of and adherence to the reporting calendar. Management Response: The City concurs with the finding. The APD Grant Administrator will establish a process to ensure that all programmatic reports are submitted on time by creating a spreadsheet to track the due dates for each programmatic report. Once the reports are submitted, it will be the responsibility of the Grant Coordinator to record the submission date. If a report is submitted late, the Grant Coordinator must contact the grantor by the end of the day to explain the reason for the delay. Timeline and Responsible Position: December 2024 -APD Grant Administrator
Information on the federal program: 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: 84.425U Federal Award Numbers: S425U210013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: a. The Agency head shall cause or require the contracting officer to insert in full in any contract in excess of $2,000 which is entered into for the actual construction, alteration and/or repair, including painting and decorating, of a public building or public work, or building or work financed in whole or in part from Federal funds or in accordance with guarantees of a Federal agency or financed from funds obtained by pledge of any contract of a Federal agency to make a loan, grant or annual contribution (except where a different meaning is expressly indicated), and which is subject to the labor standards provisions of any of the acts listed in §5.1, the following clauses… (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. The School Corporation did not include Davis Bacon wage rate requirements in its contract with vendor which includes labor installation. The School Corporation did not obtain the weekly payroll reports certifications from vendor installing equipment. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation had three projects during the audit period which included construction or labor installation which were charged to the ESSER III (84.425U) grant award. For one of two vendors selected for testing, the School Corporation did not include federal wage rate requirement clauses in the contract with the vendor and did not have an internal control designed to collect the weekly payroll reports certifications from vendors and its subcontractors, as applicable, to comply with Davis Bacon wage rate requirements. The amount disbursed for the project totaled $50,000. The lack of controls and noncompliance is isolated to the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation include Davis-Bacon wage requirements in vendor contracts which are federally funded and implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll report certifications are collected and reviewed by management to ensure compliance with the federal wage rate requirements. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
2 CFR § 2400.101 - Internal Control Failures for Eligibility Finding Number: 2024-001 Assistance Listing Number and Title: AL # 14.850 Public Housing Operating Federal Award Identification Number / Year: OH028-00000123D/2023 and OH028- 00000124D/2024 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Compliance Requirement: Determine that the required eligibility determinations and redeterminations were performed, and individual was determined to be eligible in accordance with the compliance requirements of the program. Pass-Through Entity: None Repeat Finding from Prior Audit? No Material Weakness 2 CFR § 2400.101 gives regulatory effect to the Department of Housing & Urban Development for 2 CFR § 200.303 which requires that non-Federal entities receiving Federal awards (i.e., auditee management) establish and maintain effective internal control designed to reasonably ensure compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. 24 CFR § 960.253 provides that once a year, the Authority must give each family the opportunity to choose between the two methods for determining the amount of tenant rent payable monthly by the family. 24 CFR § 960.257 provides that the Authority must reexamine family income and composition at least once every 12 months and adjust the tenant rent as necessary using the documentation from third party verification Due to deficiencies in the Authority's internal controls over compliance requirements, ten percent of applications tested for eligibility compliance did not have sufficient documentation to demonstrate that examination was reviewed before certification and that the tenant was given a choice between the two methods prior to the examination's completion. Failing to properly determine eligibility could result in the Authority improperly admitting ineligible tenants and making improper payments. The Authority should review the applications for accuracy and ensure that proper documentation is maintained of those which meet the eligibility guidelines set for the Public Operating Fund.
FINDING 2024-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Impact Aid – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Impact Aid Assistance Listing Number: 84.041 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S041A-2021-1617, S041A-2022-1617, S041A-2023-1617, S041A-2024-1617, S041B-2021-1616, S041B-2022-1616, S041B-2023-1616, S041B- 2024-1616 Pass-Through Entity: Direct Grant Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). FINDING 2024-001 (Continued) 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation had one project for a new fabrication lab for students was funded with Impact Aid (84.041) grant awards. The School Corporation did not properly include Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements in the vendor contract, and 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 total project cost disbursed during the audit period was $37,200 which included materials and labor. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll reports certifications are collected and reviewed for projects requiring labor installation and funded by federal grants subject to Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Impact Aid – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Impact Aid Assistance Listing Number: 84.041 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S041A-2021-1617, S041A-2022-1617, S041A-2023-1617, S041A-2024-1617, S041B-2021-1616, S041B-2022-1616, S041B-2023-1616, S041B- 2024-1616 Pass-Through Entity: Direct Grant Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). FINDING 2024-001 (Continued) 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation had one project for a new fabrication lab for students was funded with Impact Aid (84.041) grant awards. The School Corporation did not properly include Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements in the vendor contract, and 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 total project cost disbursed during the audit period was $37,200 which included materials and labor. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll reports certifications are collected and reviewed for projects requiring labor installation and funded by federal grants subject to Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Impact Aid – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Impact Aid Assistance Listing Number: 84.041 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S041A-2021-1617, S041A-2022-1617, S041A-2023-1617, S041A-2024-1617, S041B-2021-1616, S041B-2022-1616, S041B-2023-1616, S041B- 2024-1616 Pass-Through Entity: Direct Grant Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). FINDING 2024-001 (Continued) 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation had one project for a new fabrication lab for students was funded with Impact Aid (84.041) grant awards. The School Corporation did not properly include Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements in the vendor contract, and 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 total project cost disbursed during the audit period was $37,200 which included materials and labor. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll reports certifications are collected and reviewed for projects requiring labor installation and funded by federal grants subject to Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Impact Aid – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Impact Aid Assistance Listing Number: 84.041 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S041A-2021-1617, S041A-2022-1617, S041A-2023-1617, S041A-2024-1617, S041B-2021-1616, S041B-2022-1616, S041B-2023-1616, S041B- 2024-1616 Pass-Through Entity: Direct Grant Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). FINDING 2024-001 (Continued) 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation had one project for a new fabrication lab for students was funded with Impact Aid (84.041) grant awards. The School Corporation did not properly include Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements in the vendor contract, and 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 total project cost disbursed during the audit period was $37,200 which included materials and labor. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll reports certifications are collected and reviewed for projects requiring labor installation and funded by federal grants subject to Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Impact Aid – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Impact Aid Assistance Listing Number: 84.041 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S041A-2021-1617, S041A-2022-1617, S041A-2023-1617, S041A-2024-1617, S041B-2021-1616, S041B-2022-1616, S041B-2023-1616, S041B- 2024-1616 Pass-Through Entity: Direct Grant Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). FINDING 2024-001 (Continued) 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation had one project for a new fabrication lab for students was funded with Impact Aid (84.041) grant awards. The School Corporation did not properly include Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements in the vendor contract, and 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 total project cost disbursed during the audit period was $37,200 which included materials and labor. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll reports certifications are collected and reviewed for projects requiring labor installation and funded by federal grants subject to Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Impact Aid – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Impact Aid Assistance Listing Number: 84.041 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S041A-2021-1617, S041A-2022-1617, S041A-2023-1617, S041A-2024-1617, S041B-2021-1616, S041B-2022-1616, S041B-2023-1616, S041B- 2024-1616 Pass-Through Entity: Direct Grant Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). FINDING 2024-001 (Continued) 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation had one project for a new fabrication lab for students was funded with Impact Aid (84.041) grant awards. The School Corporation did not properly include Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements in the vendor contract, and 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 total project cost disbursed during the audit period was $37,200 which included materials and labor. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll reports certifications are collected and reviewed for projects requiring labor installation and funded by federal grants subject to Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Impact Aid – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Impact Aid Assistance Listing Number: 84.041 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S041A-2021-1617, S041A-2022-1617, S041A-2023-1617, S041A-2024-1617, S041B-2021-1616, S041B-2022-1616, S041B-2023-1616, S041B- 2024-1616 Pass-Through Entity: Direct Grant Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). FINDING 2024-001 (Continued) 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation had one project for a new fabrication lab for students was funded with Impact Aid (84.041) grant awards. The School Corporation did not properly include Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements in the vendor contract, and 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 total project cost disbursed during the audit period was $37,200 which included materials and labor. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll reports certifications are collected and reviewed for projects requiring labor installation and funded by federal grants subject to Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Impact Aid – Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Impact Aid Assistance Listing Number: 84.041 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S041A-2021-1617, S041A-2022-1617, S041A-2023-1617, S041A-2024-1617, S041B-2021-1616, S041B-2022-1616, S041B-2023-1616, S041B- 2024-1616 Pass-Through Entity: Direct Grant Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). FINDING 2024-001 (Continued) 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation had one project for a new fabrication lab for students was funded with Impact Aid (84.041) grant awards. The School Corporation did not properly include Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements in the vendor contract, and 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 total project cost disbursed during the audit period was $37,200 which included materials and labor. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll reports certifications are collected and reviewed for projects requiring labor installation and funded by federal grants subject to Davis-Bacon wage rate requirements to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-002 Information on the federal program: Subject: COVID-19 – Education Stabilization Fund – Reporting Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID-19 – Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listing Number: 84.425D, 84.425U Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D200013, S425U210013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Finding: Significant Deficiency Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 Financial reporting . . . ." 34 CFR 76.722 states: "A State may require a subgrantee to submit reports in a manner and format that assists the State in complying with the requirements under 34 CFR 76.720 and in carrying out other responsibilities under the program." 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 Reporting compliance requirements. Cause: The School District's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to establish an effective internal control system placed the School Corporation at risk of noncompliance with the grant agreement and the compliance requirements. Internal controls were not adequate to detect and prevent errors in annual data submitted to the Indiana Department of Education. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. FINDING 2024-002 (Continued) Context: The School Corporation had not designed nor implemented a system of internal control to ensure that the annual Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) annual Data Collection reports (Reports) were complete and accurately submitted. The reports were prepared and submitted in JotForm, the online application used by the Indiana Department of Education to collect information, without an oversight or secondary review process in place to prevent or detect and correct errors. During the testing of the annual data reports, variances were noted in the amounts expended reported on the Year 3 and Year 4 annual data reports for the ESSER II and ESSER III grant awards when compared to underlying disbursement detail for the grant funds. The amounts reported as expended in the Year 3 reports, which covers the period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, included amounts not expended until the following fiscal year. The amounts reported as expended in the Year 4 report, which covers the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, for ESSER III totaled $745,052 compared to underlying disbursement detail of $648,383 for the same period. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommend someone other than the preparer of the report perform a documented, secondary review of the report information prior to submission to validate the accuracy and completeness of the data submitted. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-002 Information on the federal program: Subject: COVID-19 – Education Stabilization Fund – Reporting Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID-19 – Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listing Number: 84.425D, 84.425U Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D200013, S425U210013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Finding: Significant Deficiency Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 Financial reporting . . . ." 34 CFR 76.722 states: "A State may require a subgrantee to submit reports in a manner and format that assists the State in complying with the requirements under 34 CFR 76.720 and in carrying out other responsibilities under the program." 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 Reporting compliance requirements. Cause: The School District's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to establish an effective internal control system placed the School Corporation at risk of noncompliance with the grant agreement and the compliance requirements. Internal controls were not adequate to detect and prevent errors in annual data submitted to the Indiana Department of Education. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. FINDING 2024-002 (Continued) Context: The School Corporation had not designed nor implemented a system of internal control to ensure that the annual Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) annual Data Collection reports (Reports) were complete and accurately submitted. The reports were prepared and submitted in JotForm, the online application used by the Indiana Department of Education to collect information, without an oversight or secondary review process in place to prevent or detect and correct errors. During the testing of the annual data reports, variances were noted in the amounts expended reported on the Year 3 and Year 4 annual data reports for the ESSER II and ESSER III grant awards when compared to underlying disbursement detail for the grant funds. The amounts reported as expended in the Year 3 reports, which covers the period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, included amounts not expended until the following fiscal year. The amounts reported as expended in the Year 4 report, which covers the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, for ESSER III totaled $745,052 compared to underlying disbursement detail of $648,383 for the same period. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommend someone other than the preparer of the report perform a documented, secondary review of the report information prior to submission to validate the accuracy and completeness of the data submitted. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
Criteria: The Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR 200.303(a)) requires that each non-Federal entity must “Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award.” Non-federal entities are prohibited from contracting with or making subawards under covered transactions to parties that are suspended or debarred. This verification may be accomplished by (1) checking the System for Award Management (SAM) Exclusions maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA) and available at SAM.gov, (2) collecting a certification from the entity, or (3) adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that entity (2 CFR section 180 300). Condition: The Organization's policies and procedures do not have an internal control in place to ensure that before entering into a covered transaction the Organization perform the necessary verifications of suspended or debarred entities. Cause: The Organization does not have procedures in place to ensure suspension and debarment checks are completed prior to entering into purchase or service agreements with vendors. Evidence of actions taken to ensure proper suspension and debarment requirements were not being maintained by the Organization. Effect: Failing to have the appropriate controls in place may result in vendors who are suspended or debarred receiving federal funds. Recommendation: We recommend that the Organization update its procurement policy to specifically address and provide for the necessary controls to ensure that vendors and others in a covered transaction are verified that the entity is nor suspended or debarred. In additional, the policy should include details about maintaining evidence of actions taken to ensure proper suspension and debarment requirements are met. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and recommendation.
Significant Deficiency in Allowable Costs and Cost Principles Federal Award Identification Assistance Listing Program Title: Formula Grants for Rural Areas Assistance Listing Program Number: 20.509 Federal Award ID Number and Year: Various Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Transportation Pass-Through Entity: Nebraska Department of Transportation Criteria Standards for documentation of personnel expenses at 2 CFR 200.430(i)(1) require that charges to federal awards for salaries and wages be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed. These records must be supported by a system of internal control which provides reasonable assurance that the charges are accurate, allowable, and properly documented. The Organization must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that they are managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal Award (2 CFR 200.303). Condition The Organization lacked adequate documentation to support approved rates of pay. Repeat Finding Yes, 2023-005. Cause Procedures within the Organization were inadequate to ensure that personnel expenses were adequately documented. Effect or Potential Effect Increased potential for errors or misuse of funds. Questioned Costs No. Statistical Sample No. Context Auditor randomly selected 60 payroll transactions covering the entire fiscal year for testing and judgmentally selected one additional payroll transaction for testing. Of the 61 transactions that were tested, there were frequent errors regarding: - Personnel files lacking (approved) rates of pay. - Rates of pay documented in personnel files that did not match the actual rates of pay. Recommendation We recommend the Organization establish a system of internal control consisting of policies and procedures whereby personnel files contain appropriately reviewed and approved documentation to support employee rates of pay. Views of Responsible Officials See Corrective Action Plan, below.
Department of Agriculture Federal Financial Assistance Listing #10.766 Community Facilities Loans and Grants Special Tests and Provisions Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303(a) establishes that the auditee must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides assurance that the entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and conditions of the federal awards. Section 4 of the loan resolution security agreements dated September 2, 2008 and March 10, 2010 states the Hospital must set aside a reserve amount each month until the specified account balance is reached. Condition: The Hospital’s reserve account is fully funded per the requirements in the loan resolution security agreement. However, there is no documented secondary monitoring of the reserve balance as compared to the required minimum reserve balance. Cause: The reserve balance is reported within the monthly financial information provided to the board and the reserve balance is noted as “in compliance”, however, there is no documented discussion or comparison of the reserve balance to the required minimum reserve balance. The board may be unaware of changes in the reserve balance which could cause the Hospital to no longer be in compliance. Effect: The lack of formal review or approval increases the risk of employees participating in the federal award administration not detecting and correcting noncompliance in a timely manner. Questioned Costs: None reported. Context: Sampling was not used. Repeat Finding from Prior Year: Yes, prior year finding 2023‐004. Recommendation: We recommend management implement procedures to include a comparison of the required minimum reserve balance to the actual reserve balance and documenting the requirement in the monthly financial information provided to the board. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding.
Department of Agriculture Federal Financial Assistance Listing #10.766 Community Facilities Loans and Grants Special Tests and Provisions Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303(a) establishes that the auditee must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides assurance that the entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and conditions of the federal awards. Section 4 of the loan resolution security agreements dated September 2, 2008 and March 10, 2010 states the Hospital must set aside a reserve amount each month until the specified account balance is reached. Condition: The Hospital’s reserve account is fully funded per the requirements in the loan resolution security agreement. However, there is no documented secondary monitoring of the reserve balance as compared to the required minimum reserve balance. Cause: The reserve balance is reported within the monthly financial information provided to the board and the reserve balance is noted as “in compliance”, however, there is no documented discussion or comparison of the reserve balance to the required minimum reserve balance. The board may be unaware of changes in the reserve balance which could cause the Hospital to no longer be in compliance. Effect: The lack of formal review or approval increases the risk of employees participating in the federal award administration not detecting and correcting noncompliance in a timely manner. Questioned Costs: None reported. Context: Sampling was not used. Repeat Finding from Prior Year: Yes, prior year finding 2023‐004. Recommendation: We recommend management implement procedures to include a comparison of the required minimum reserve balance to the actual reserve balance and documenting the requirement in the monthly financial information provided to the board. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding.
Department of Agriculture Federal Financial Assistance Listing #10.766 Community Facilities Loans and Grants Special Tests and Provisions Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303(a) establishes that the auditee must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides assurance that the entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and conditions of the federal awards. Section 4 of the loan resolution security agreements dated September 2, 2008 and March 10, 2010 states the Hospital must set aside a reserve amount each month until the specified account balance is reached. Condition: The Hospital’s reserve account is fully funded per the requirements in the loan resolution security agreement. However, there is no documented secondary monitoring of the reserve balance as compared to the required minimum reserve balance. Cause: The reserve balance is reported within the monthly financial information provided to the board and the reserve balance is noted as “in compliance”, however, there is no documented discussion or comparison of the reserve balance to the required minimum reserve balance. The board may be unaware of changes in the reserve balance which could cause the Hospital to no longer be in compliance. Effect: The lack of formal review or approval increases the risk of employees participating in the federal award administration not detecting and correcting noncompliance in a timely manner. Questioned Costs: None reported. Context: Sampling was not used. Repeat Finding from Prior Year: Yes, prior year finding 2023‐004. Recommendation: We recommend management implement procedures to include a comparison of the required minimum reserve balance to the actual reserve balance and documenting the requirement in the monthly financial information provided to the board. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding.
Assistance Listing, Federal Agency, and Program Name - 21.027, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, U.S. Department of Treasury, ADN to BSN Completion Grant Program Federal Award Identification Number and Year - SLFRP0127, 2023 2026 Pass-through Entity - Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Finding Type - Material weakness and material noncompliance with laws and regulations Repeat Finding - No Criteria - Per 2 CFR 200.303(a), the nonfederal entity must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the nonfederal entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, or the Internal Control Integrated Framework, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Costs must be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the federal award and be allocable thereto under the principles in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E. Condition - The College's internal control in place for manual journal entries did not identify unallowable costs reported in the SEFA. Questioned Costs - $326,781 Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed - Questioned costs are made up of unallowable direct costs of $233,415 and the related indirect cost at 40 percent of $93,366, totaling $326,781. Context - A manual journal entry reviewed and approved included unallowable costs, which also impacted the determination of indirect costs charged to the grant in a separate manual journal entry. Therefore, the error is made up of two manual journal entries selected for testing out of 40 total expenditures. The error represented 36 percent of the original amount reported on the SEFA, or $880,303. As a result, $326,781 was removed from the SEFA. Cause and Effect - Due to an ineffective review of manual journal entries, the grant expenditures reported to the grantor and the amount reported on the original SEFA provided by management for the grant were overstated. Recommendation - We recommend an effective review of manual journal entries be put in place. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - While the College currently has controls in place to review all manual journal entries, we will adjust our review process going forward to incorporate additional oversight for any manual journal entries impacting federal grants. Going forward, the controller will review all manual journal entries impacting federal grants, and the vice president of finance will provide a second level review of any such entries that equal or exceed $50,000.
Information on the federal program: Subject: Education Stabilization Fund (ESSER) – Internal Controls Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID-19 – Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listing Number: 84.425D, 84.425U Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D210013, S425U200013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Finding: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 Financial reporting . . . ." 34 CFR 76.722 states: "A State may require a subgrantee to submit reports in a manner and format that assists the State in complying with the requirements under 34 CFR 76.720 and in carrying out other responsibilities under the program." 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 Reporting compliance requirements. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to establish an effective internal control system placed the School Corporation at risk of noncompliance with the grant agreement and the compliance requirements. A lack of segregation of duties within an internal control system could have also allowed noncompliance with the compliance requirements and allowed the misuse and mismanagement of federal funds and assets by not having proper oversight, reviews, and approvals over the activities of the programs. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation was required to submit two Annual Data Reports to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) during the audit period to meet federal reporting requirements for ESSER grant awards. We noted that the ESSER II and ESSER III amounts reported on the Year 3 report ($397,392 and $294,138, respectively) did not agree to the underlying expenditure records ($498,259 and $1,509,413, respectively, for the period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022). Additionally, we noted that the ESSER II and ESSER III amounts reported on the Year 4 report ($400,501 and $294,129, respectively) did not agree to the underlying expenditure records ($412,324 and $287,065, respectively, for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023). We noted that the 602 number of Full-time equivalent (FTE) positions on September 30, 2022 on the first report did not agree to the underlying records supporting number of 1,233 Full-time equivalent (FTE) positions on September 30, 2023. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend someone other than the preparer of the report perform a documented review prior to submission to validate the accuracy and completeness of the data submitted. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
Information on the federal program: 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: 84.425U Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425U200013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Material Noncompliance, Qualified Opinion Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: (1) Minimum wages. (i) All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or under the United States Housing Act of 1937 or under the Housing Act of 1949 in the construction or development of the project), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics… (3)(ii)(A) The contractor shall submit weekly for each week in which any contract work is performed a copy of all payrolls to the (write in name of appropriate federal agency) if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, or owner, as the case may be, for transmission to the (write in name of agency). 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week.. . .” 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. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to design and implement an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Special Tests and Provisions – Wage Rate Requirements compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: For the one project sampled for Davis-Bacon requirements, the School Corporation did not obtain the weekly payroll reports certifications from the company that performed renovations on the School Corporation’s roof. Therefore, no review was performed to ensure that pay rates complied with the federal wage rate requirements. Additionally, the School Corporation did not have contracts with the companies that included the clauses for the federal wage rate requirements. The amount disbursed and reported on the SEFA during the audit period is $467,094. Identification as a repeat finding: This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit. The prior finding number was 2022-001. Recommendation: We recommend the School Corporation implement a formal process to ensure the required weekly payroll reports certifications are collected and reviewed to ensure compliance with the wage rate requirements. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
Information on the federal program: Subject: Education Stabilization Fund (ESSER) – Internal Controls Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID-19 – Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listing Number: 84.425D, 84.425U Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D210013, S425U200013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Finding: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 Financial reporting . . . ." 34 CFR 76.722 states: "A State may require a subgrantee to submit reports in a manner and format that assists the State in complying with the requirements under 34 CFR 76.720 and in carrying out other responsibilities under the program." 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 Reporting compliance requirements. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the compliance requirements listed above. Effect: The failure to establish an effective internal control system placed the School Corporation at risk of noncompliance with the grant agreement and the compliance requirements. A lack of segregation of duties within an internal control system could have also allowed noncompliance with the compliance requirements and allowed the misuse and mismanagement of federal funds and assets by not having proper oversight, reviews, and approvals over the activities of the programs. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The School Corporation was required to submit two Annual Data Reports to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) during the audit period to meet federal reporting requirements for ESSER grant awards. We noted that the ESSER II and ESSER III amounts reported on the Year 3 report ($397,392 and $294,138, respectively) did not agree to the underlying expenditure records ($498,259 and $1,509,413, respectively, for the period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022). Additionally, we noted that the ESSER II and ESSER III amounts reported on the Year 4 report ($400,501 and $294,129, respectively) did not agree to the underlying expenditure records ($412,324 and $287,065, respectively, for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023). We noted that the 602 number of Full-time equivalent (FTE) positions on September 30, 2022 on the first report did not agree to the underlying records supporting number of 1,233 Full-time equivalent (FTE) positions on September 30, 2023. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend someone other than the preparer of the report perform a documented review prior to submission to validate the accuracy and completeness of the data submitted. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.
Program: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Federal Financial Assistance Listing No.: 21.027 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Treasury Passed-through: California Department of Finance Award Number and Year: CSLFRF Compliance Requirement: Procurement Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance, Instance of Noncompliance Criteria: Per 2 CFR part 200, subpart D, section 200.303, the nonfederal entity must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the nonfederal entity is managing the federal award is compliance with federal statues, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: We identified that the City’s purchasing and contracting policy does not require the verification of the debarment and suspension status of vendors prior to entering into agreements. We also noted that the City did not maintain documentation that they verified that the contractor was not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. Cause: The City’s policy does not require the verification of the debarment and suspension of a vendor prior to entering into a covered transaction, nor does it address on what type of documentation should be maintained to ensure they are not suspended and debarred. Effect: Noncompliance with these requirements could result in disbursements of Federal funds to suspended and debarred parties. Questioned Costs: None reported. Context/Sampling: We selected 2 out of 4 of the City’s procurement transactions associated with the program. Repeat Finding from Prior Year(s): No. Recommendation: We recommend that the City include policies and procedures within their procurement policy to check whether or not vendors are suspended and debarred and to maintain that documentation within the procurement file. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding. See separate corrective action plan.
Program: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Federal Financial Assistance Listing No.: 21.027 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Treasury Passed-through: California Department of Finance Award Number and Year: CSLFRF Compliance Requirement: Reporting Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance, Instance of Noncompliance Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303(a) requires that the non-federal entity must establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Condition: We noted that the supporting documentation provided did not tie to the annual report submitted by the City or evidence of review. Cause: The City’s internal control environment was impacted by a shortage of staff necessary to fully conduct the program. Effect: The City’s reports on the awards were not reviewed for accuracy. Questioned Costs: None reported. Context/Sampling: We selected 100% of the City’s reports for the program. Repeat Finding from Prior Year(s): No. Recommendation: We recommend that the City continue to strengthen its policies and procedures over reporting to ensure that that the supporting documentation and evidence of review is maintained. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding. See separate corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023, FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Upon inquiry of the School Corporation, it was determined that the School Corporation ensures all service contracts include a provision regarding suspension and debarment. The contracts are reviewed and signed by a knowledgeable member of the School Corporation. Two vendors with covered transactions for goods or services that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from Child Nutrition Cluster funds during the audit period were identified at the School Corporation level and tested. For one of the two vendors, the School Corporation did not verify that the contract included the provision regarding suspension and debarment or otherwise verify the vendor's suspension and debarment status prior to payment. The lack of effective internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking SAM Exclusions; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the School Corporation's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023, FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Finding: Material Weakness Condition and Context Any child enrolled in a participating school, who meets the applicable program's definition of "child," may receive meals under applicable programs. A child belonging to households meeting nationwide income eligibility requirements may receive meals at no charge or at a reduced price. Children that have been determined ineligible for free or reduced-price meals pay the full price for their meals. A child's eligibility for free and reduced-priced meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnished such information as family income and family size. The School Corporation determines eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Annual eligibility determinations may also be based on the child's household receiving benefits under SNAP, FDPIR, the Head Start Program, or, under most circumstances, the TANF program. A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of those programs, or the School Corporation may obtain the information directly from the State or local agency that administers those programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application. One employee uploaded the Direct Certification reports from the state into the software system without a documented oversight or review process in place to ensure direct certified students were properly processed. The lack of internal controls was isolated to the direct certified households. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause A proper system of internal controls, which would include segregation of key functions, was not implemented by management of the School Corporation. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the School Corporation's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper design or implementation of the components of a system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that provide segregation of duties and additional oversight as needed, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would provide segregation of duties to ensure appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight are taking place. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-003. Condition and Context An effective internal control system was not in place at the School Corporation to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirement. During the audit period, there was not an approved salary ordinance for noncertified staff for fiscal year 2023-2024. Of the nine paychecks selected for testing, three did not have hourly rates approved by the governing body. It was further determined that all noncertified staff employees did not have the hourly rates approved by the governing body for 2023-2024. Therefore, we were not able to determine if the amounts paid to these employees were appropriate. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was limited to payroll disbursements of noncertified employees during 2024. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (a) Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and be allocable thereto under these principles. (b) Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in these principles or in the Federal award as to types or amount of cost items. . . . (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.430(g)(1) states in part: "Charges to Federal awards for salaries and wages must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed. These records must: (i) Be supported by a system of internal control that provides reasonable assurance that the charges are accurate, allowable, and properly allocated; (ii) Be incorporated into the official records of the recipient or subrecipient; (iii) Reasonably reflect the total activity for which the employee is compensated by the recipient or subrecipient, not exceeding 100 percent of compensated activities (for IHEs, this is the IBS); (iv) Encompass federally-assisted and all other activities compensated by the recipient or subrecipient on an integrated basis but may include the use of subsidiary records as defined in the recipient's or subrecipient's written policy; (v) Comply with the established accounting policies and procedures of the recipient or subrecipient (See paragraph (i)(1)(ii) of this section for treatment of incidental work for IHEs.); and . . . (vii) Support the distribution of the employee's salary or wages among specific activities or cost objectives if the employee works on more than one Federal award; a Federal award and non-Federal award; an indirect cost activity and a direct cost activity; two or more indirect activities allocated using different allocation bases; or an unallowable activity and a direct or indirect cost activity. (viii) Budget estimates (meaning, estimates determined before the services are performed) alone do not qualify as support for charges to Federal awards, but may be used for interim accounting purposes, provided that: (A) The system for establishing the estimates produces reasonable approximations of the activity performed; (B) Significant changes in the related work activity (as defined by the recipient's or subrecipient's written policies) are promptly identified and entered into the records. Short-term (such as one or two months) fluctuations between workload categories do not need to be considered as long as the distribution of salaries and wages is reasonable over the longer term; and (C) The recipient's or subrecipient's system of internal controls includes processes to perform periodic after-the-fact reviews of interim charges made to a Federal award based on budget estimates. All necessary adjustments must be made so that the final amount charged to the Federal award is accurate, allowable, and properly allocated. (ix) Because practices vary as to the activity constituting a full workload (for example, the Institutional Base Salary (IBS) for IHEs), records may reflect categories of activities expressed as a percentage distribution of total activities. (x) It is recognized that teaching, research, service, and administration are often inextricably intermingled in an academic setting. Therefore, a precise assessment of factors contributing to costs is not required when IHEs record salaries and wages charged to Federal awards . . ." Cause Management had not established an effective system of internal controls that would have ensured compliance with the grant agreement and the Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirement. Effect The failure to establish an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirement could have resulted in the loss of federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs The total of known questioned costs was $219,188. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish an effective system of internal controls to ensure compliance and comply with the grant agreement and Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirement. An internal control system, including segregation of duties, should be designed and operate effectively to provide reasonable assurance that material noncompliance with the grant agreement or a compliance requirement of a federal program will be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis. In order to have an effective internal control system, it is important to have proper segregation of duties. This is accomplished by making sure proper oversight, reviews, and approvals take place and to have a separation of functions over certain activities related to the program. The fundamental premise of segregation of duties is that an individual or small group of individuals should not be in a position to initiate, approve, undertake, and review the same activity. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023, FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Upon inquiry of the School Corporation, it was determined that the School Corporation ensures all service contracts include a provision regarding suspension and debarment. The contracts are reviewed and signed by a knowledgeable member of the School Corporation. Two vendors with covered transactions for goods or services that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from Child Nutrition Cluster funds during the audit period were identified at the School Corporation level and tested. For one of the two vendors, the School Corporation did not verify that the contract included the provision regarding suspension and debarment or otherwise verify the vendor's suspension and debarment status prior to payment. The lack of effective internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking SAM Exclusions; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the School Corporation's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023, FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Finding: Material Weakness Condition and Context Any child enrolled in a participating school, who meets the applicable program's definition of "child," may receive meals under applicable programs. A child belonging to households meeting nationwide income eligibility requirements may receive meals at no charge or at a reduced price. Children that have been determined ineligible for free or reduced-price meals pay the full price for their meals. A child's eligibility for free and reduced-priced meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnished such information as family income and family size. The School Corporation determines eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Annual eligibility determinations may also be based on the child's household receiving benefits under SNAP, FDPIR, the Head Start Program, or, under most circumstances, the TANF program. A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of those programs, or the School Corporation may obtain the information directly from the State or local agency that administers those programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application. One employee uploaded the Direct Certification reports from the state into the software system without a documented oversight or review process in place to ensure direct certified students were properly processed. The lack of internal controls was isolated to the direct certified households. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause A proper system of internal controls, which would include segregation of key functions, was not implemented by management of the School Corporation. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the School Corporation's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper design or implementation of the components of a system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that provide segregation of duties and additional oversight as needed, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would provide segregation of duties to ensure appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight are taking place. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023, FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Upon inquiry of the School Corporation, it was determined that the School Corporation ensures all service contracts include a provision regarding suspension and debarment. The contracts are reviewed and signed by a knowledgeable member of the School Corporation. Two vendors with covered transactions for goods or services that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from Child Nutrition Cluster funds during the audit period were identified at the School Corporation level and tested. For one of the two vendors, the School Corporation did not verify that the contract included the provision regarding suspension and debarment or otherwise verify the vendor's suspension and debarment status prior to payment. The lack of effective internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking SAM Exclusions; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the School Corporation's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023, FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Finding: Material Weakness Condition and Context Any child enrolled in a participating school, who meets the applicable program's definition of "child," may receive meals under applicable programs. A child belonging to households meeting nationwide income eligibility requirements may receive meals at no charge or at a reduced price. Children that have been determined ineligible for free or reduced-price meals pay the full price for their meals. A child's eligibility for free and reduced-priced meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnished such information as family income and family size. The School Corporation determines eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Annual eligibility determinations may also be based on the child's household receiving benefits under SNAP, FDPIR, the Head Start Program, or, under most circumstances, the TANF program. A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of those programs, or the School Corporation may obtain the information directly from the State or local agency that administers those programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application. One employee uploaded the Direct Certification reports from the state into the software system without a documented oversight or review process in place to ensure direct certified students were properly processed. The lack of internal controls was isolated to the direct certified households. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause A proper system of internal controls, which would include segregation of key functions, was not implemented by management of the School Corporation. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the School Corporation's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper design or implementation of the components of a system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that provide segregation of duties and additional oversight as needed, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would provide segregation of duties to ensure appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight are taking place. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2022-003. Condition and Context An effective internal control system was not in place at the School Corporation to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirement. During the audit period, there was not an approved salary ordinance for noncertified staff for fiscal year 2023-2024. Of the nine paychecks selected for testing, three did not have hourly rates approved by the governing body. It was further determined that all noncertified staff employees did not have the hourly rates approved by the governing body for 2023-2024. Therefore, we were not able to determine if the amounts paid to these employees were appropriate. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was limited to payroll disbursements of noncertified employees during 2024. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (a) Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and be allocable thereto under these principles. (b) Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in these principles or in the Federal award as to types or amount of cost items. . . . (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.430(g)(1) states in part: "Charges to Federal awards for salaries and wages must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed. These records must: (i) Be supported by a system of internal control that provides reasonable assurance that the charges are accurate, allowable, and properly allocated; (ii) Be incorporated into the official records of the recipient or subrecipient; (iii) Reasonably reflect the total activity for which the employee is compensated by the recipient or subrecipient, not exceeding 100 percent of compensated activities (for IHEs, this is the IBS); (iv) Encompass federally-assisted and all other activities compensated by the recipient or subrecipient on an integrated basis but may include the use of subsidiary records as defined in the recipient's or subrecipient's written policy; (v) Comply with the established accounting policies and procedures of the recipient or subrecipient (See paragraph (i)(1)(ii) of this section for treatment of incidental work for IHEs.); and . . . (vii) Support the distribution of the employee's salary or wages among specific activities or cost objectives if the employee works on more than one Federal award; a Federal award and non-Federal award; an indirect cost activity and a direct cost activity; two or more indirect activities allocated using different allocation bases; or an unallowable activity and a direct or indirect cost activity. (viii) Budget estimates (meaning, estimates determined before the services are performed) alone do not qualify as support for charges to Federal awards, but may be used for interim accounting purposes, provided that: (A) The system for establishing the estimates produces reasonable approximations of the activity performed; (B) Significant changes in the related work activity (as defined by the recipient's or subrecipient's written policies) are promptly identified and entered into the records. Short-term (such as one or two months) fluctuations between workload categories do not need to be considered as long as the distribution of salaries and wages is reasonable over the longer term; and (C) The recipient's or subrecipient's system of internal controls includes processes to perform periodic after-the-fact reviews of interim charges made to a Federal award based on budget estimates. All necessary adjustments must be made so that the final amount charged to the Federal award is accurate, allowable, and properly allocated. (ix) Because practices vary as to the activity constituting a full workload (for example, the Institutional Base Salary (IBS) for IHEs), records may reflect categories of activities expressed as a percentage distribution of total activities. (x) It is recognized that teaching, research, service, and administration are often inextricably intermingled in an academic setting. Therefore, a precise assessment of factors contributing to costs is not required when IHEs record salaries and wages charged to Federal awards . . ." Cause Management had not established an effective system of internal controls that would have ensured compliance with the grant agreement and the Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirement. Effect The failure to establish an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirement could have resulted in the loss of federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs The total of known questioned costs was $219,188. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish an effective system of internal controls to ensure compliance and comply with the grant agreement and Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirement. An internal control system, including segregation of duties, should be designed and operate effectively to provide reasonable assurance that material noncompliance with the grant agreement or a compliance requirement of a federal program will be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis. In order to have an effective internal control system, it is important to have proper segregation of duties. This is accomplished by making sure proper oversight, reviews, and approvals take place and to have a separation of functions over certain activities related to the program. The fundamental premise of segregation of duties is that an individual or small group of individuals should not be in a position to initiate, approve, undertake, and review the same activity. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023, FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions, collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Upon inquiry of the School Corporation, it was determined that the School Corporation ensures all service contracts include a provision regarding suspension and debarment. The contracts are reviewed and signed by a knowledgeable member of the School Corporation. Two vendors with covered transactions for goods or services that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from Child Nutrition Cluster funds during the audit period were identified at the School Corporation level and tested. For one of the two vendors, the School Corporation did not verify that the contract included the provision regarding suspension and debarment or otherwise verify the vendor's suspension and debarment status prior to payment. The lack of effective internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking SAM Exclusions; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed by management of the School Corporation, which would include segregation of key functions. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the School Corporation's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-005 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 2023, FY 2024 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Finding: Material Weakness Condition and Context Any child enrolled in a participating school, who meets the applicable program's definition of "child," may receive meals under applicable programs. A child belonging to households meeting nationwide income eligibility requirements may receive meals at no charge or at a reduced price. Children that have been determined ineligible for free or reduced-price meals pay the full price for their meals. A child's eligibility for free and reduced-priced meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnished such information as family income and family size. The School Corporation determines eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Annual eligibility determinations may also be based on the child's household receiving benefits under SNAP, FDPIR, the Head Start Program, or, under most circumstances, the TANF program. A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of those programs, or the School Corporation may obtain the information directly from the State or local agency that administers those programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application. One employee uploaded the Direct Certification reports from the state into the software system without a documented oversight or review process in place to ensure direct certified students were properly processed. The lack of internal controls was isolated to the direct certified households. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause A proper system of internal controls, which would include segregation of key functions, was not implemented by management of the School Corporation. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the School Corporation's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper design or implementation of the components of a system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that provide segregation of duties and additional oversight as needed, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would provide segregation of duties to ensure appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight are taking place. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
Criteria Under 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, recipients of federal funds are required to maintain effective internal controls over the financial management and reporting of federal awards. Specifically, the District is required to ensure that reports submitted are accurate, complete, and timely. For this grant the District is required to submit data to the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) for the State’s report. (2 CFR § 200.303). Condition The total expenditures reported to the WDE were correct, however the amounts by expenditure category and object code differed between the accounting system general ledger classification and the reports submitted. Cause The District’s system for summarizing the data from the general ledger and reporting it to WDE resulted in inaccurate summarizations. The District’s internal review and approval process for reports was not consistently followed resulting in missed errors. Effect or Potential Effect The District's reports were inaccurate and did not reflect the true expenditures by category and object code. Questioned Costs None Context The District was required to submit one financial report for ESSER I, ESSER II and ESSER III expenditures during the fiscal year. Each of the reports contained misclassified expenditures by category and object code. Identification as a Repeat Finding Not a repeat finding Recommendation We recommend that the District provide targeted training for personnel involved in the preparation and submission of reports to ensure they understand the specific compliance and reporting requirements. The District should additionally consider implementing a more rigorous review and reconciliation process for all financial reports prior to submission to ensure that any discrepancies between financial records and reports are resolved before the reports are finalized. Views of Responsible Officials The District will adopt a general ledger account structure that is directly correlated to the Wyoming Department of Education’s Accounting Manual.
Criteria Under 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, recipients of federal funds are required to maintain effective internal controls over the financial management and reporting of federal awards. Specifically, the District is required to ensure that reports submitted are accurate, complete, and timely. For this grant the District is required to submit data to the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) for the State’s report. (2 CFR § 200.303). Condition The total expenditures reported to the WDE were correct, however the amounts by expenditure category and object code differed between the accounting system general ledger classification and the reports submitted. Cause The District’s system for summarizing the data from the general ledger and reporting it to WDE resulted in inaccurate summarizations. The District’s internal review and approval process for reports was not consistently followed resulting in missed errors. Effect or Potential Effect The District's reports were inaccurate and did not reflect the true expenditures by category and object code. Questioned Costs None Context The District was required to submit one financial report for ESSER I, ESSER II and ESSER III expenditures during the fiscal year. Each of the reports contained misclassified expenditures by category and object code. Identification as a Repeat Finding Not a repeat finding Recommendation We recommend that the District provide targeted training for personnel involved in the preparation and submission of reports to ensure they understand the specific compliance and reporting requirements. The District should additionally consider implementing a more rigorous review and reconciliation process for all financial reports prior to submission to ensure that any discrepancies between financial records and reports are resolved before the reports are finalized. Views of Responsible Officials The District will adopt a general ledger account structure that is directly correlated to the Wyoming Department of Education’s Accounting Manual.
FINDING 2024-001 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 10.553, 10.555 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Finding: Significant Deficiency INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 15 SCHOOL CITY OF WHITING SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to a child receiving free or reduced-price meals. Any child enrolled in a participating school who meets the applicable program's definition of "child," may receive meals under the applicable program. In the case of the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, children belonging to households meeting nationwide income eligibility requirements may receive meals at no charge or at reduced price. Children who have been determined ineligible for free or reduced-price school meals pay the full price, set by the School Food Authority, for their meals. Children attending SFSP meal service sites receive their meals at no charge. As a general rule, a child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under SNAP, FDPIR, the Head Start Program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the TANF program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application. Direct Certifications The Director of Food Services (Director) downloaded the direct certification report from the State of Indiana database monthly and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. After the initial upload of the direct certification report, the Director verified the information was imported correctly as documented by tick marks on a direct certification report. This process continued monthly; however, there was no documentation of the subsequent reviews to ensure the upload had imported correctly and students' status was updated accordingly. Applications Eligibility for applications submitted for free and reduced lunch were determined by the POS system based on the published income eligibility guidelines. The Director downloaded the new income eligibility guidelines that were updated in the POS system by the software vendor. The Director reviewed the accuracy of the income eligibility guidelines and then saved them to the POS system. Documentation that the review process was implemented properly could not be provided. The lack of internal controls were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 SCHOOL CITY OF WHITING SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads after the initial upload and the review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system were not properly implemented. The Director did not maintain documentation that the review process had occurred. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure that the appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight are documented. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-001 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 10.553, 10.555 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Finding: Significant Deficiency INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 15 SCHOOL CITY OF WHITING SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to a child receiving free or reduced-price meals. Any child enrolled in a participating school who meets the applicable program's definition of "child," may receive meals under the applicable program. In the case of the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, children belonging to households meeting nationwide income eligibility requirements may receive meals at no charge or at reduced price. Children who have been determined ineligible for free or reduced-price school meals pay the full price, set by the School Food Authority, for their meals. Children attending SFSP meal service sites receive their meals at no charge. As a general rule, a child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under SNAP, FDPIR, the Head Start Program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the TANF program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application. Direct Certifications The Director of Food Services (Director) downloaded the direct certification report from the State of Indiana database monthly and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. After the initial upload of the direct certification report, the Director verified the information was imported correctly as documented by tick marks on a direct certification report. This process continued monthly; however, there was no documentation of the subsequent reviews to ensure the upload had imported correctly and students' status was updated accordingly. Applications Eligibility for applications submitted for free and reduced lunch were determined by the POS system based on the published income eligibility guidelines. The Director downloaded the new income eligibility guidelines that were updated in the POS system by the software vendor. The Director reviewed the accuracy of the income eligibility guidelines and then saved them to the POS system. Documentation that the review process was implemented properly could not be provided. The lack of internal controls were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 SCHOOL CITY OF WHITING SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads after the initial upload and the review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system were not properly implemented. The Director did not maintain documentation that the review process had occurred. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure that the appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight are documented. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-001 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 10.553, 10.555 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Finding: Significant Deficiency INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 15 SCHOOL CITY OF WHITING SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to a child receiving free or reduced-price meals. Any child enrolled in a participating school who meets the applicable program's definition of "child," may receive meals under the applicable program. In the case of the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, children belonging to households meeting nationwide income eligibility requirements may receive meals at no charge or at reduced price. Children who have been determined ineligible for free or reduced-price school meals pay the full price, set by the School Food Authority, for their meals. Children attending SFSP meal service sites receive their meals at no charge. As a general rule, a child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under SNAP, FDPIR, the Head Start Program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the TANF program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application. Direct Certifications The Director of Food Services (Director) downloaded the direct certification report from the State of Indiana database monthly and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. After the initial upload of the direct certification report, the Director verified the information was imported correctly as documented by tick marks on a direct certification report. This process continued monthly; however, there was no documentation of the subsequent reviews to ensure the upload had imported correctly and students' status was updated accordingly. Applications Eligibility for applications submitted for free and reduced lunch were determined by the POS system based on the published income eligibility guidelines. The Director downloaded the new income eligibility guidelines that were updated in the POS system by the software vendor. The Director reviewed the accuracy of the income eligibility guidelines and then saved them to the POS system. Documentation that the review process was implemented properly could not be provided. The lack of internal controls were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 SCHOOL CITY OF WHITING SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads after the initial upload and the review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system were not properly implemented. The Director did not maintain documentation that the review process had occurred. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure that the appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight are documented. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-001 Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Eligibility Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listings Numbers: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 10.553, 10.555 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Eligibility Audit Finding: Significant Deficiency INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 15 SCHOOL CITY OF WHITING SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly implemented a system of internal controls, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to a child receiving free or reduced-price meals. Any child enrolled in a participating school who meets the applicable program's definition of "child," may receive meals under the applicable program. In the case of the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, children belonging to households meeting nationwide income eligibility requirements may receive meals at no charge or at reduced price. Children who have been determined ineligible for free or reduced-price school meals pay the full price, set by the School Food Authority, for their meals. Children attending SFSP meal service sites receive their meals at no charge. As a general rule, a child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals under a Child Nutrition Cluster program may be established by the submission of an annual application or statement which furnishes such information as family income and family size. Local educational agencies, institutions, and sponsors then determine eligibility by comparing the data reported by the child's household to published income eligibility guidelines. Additionally, a child may be direct certified. For a direct certification, annual eligibility determinations are based on the child's household receiving benefits under SNAP, FDPIR, the Head Start Program (ALN 93.600), or, under most circumstances, the TANF program (ALN 93.558). A household may furnish documentation of its participation in one of these programs; or the school, institution, or sponsor may obtain the information directly from the state or local agency that administers these programs. Certain foster, runaway, homeless, and migrant children are categorically eligible for free school lunches and breakfasts. Direct certified households do not need to complete an application. Direct Certifications The Director of Food Services (Director) downloaded the direct certification report from the State of Indiana database monthly and uploaded it to the school lunch point-of-sale (POS) system. After the initial upload of the direct certification report, the Director verified the information was imported correctly as documented by tick marks on a direct certification report. This process continued monthly; however, there was no documentation of the subsequent reviews to ensure the upload had imported correctly and students' status was updated accordingly. Applications Eligibility for applications submitted for free and reduced lunch were determined by the POS system based on the published income eligibility guidelines. The Director downloaded the new income eligibility guidelines that were updated in the POS system by the software vendor. The Director reviewed the accuracy of the income eligibility guidelines and then saved them to the POS system. Documentation that the review process was implemented properly could not be provided. The lack of internal controls were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 SCHOOL CITY OF WHITING SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause The system of internal controls over the monthly direct certification uploads after the initial upload and the review of the income eligibility guidelines saved in the POS system were not properly implemented. The Director did not maintain documentation that the review process had occurred. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the repayment of federal funds. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would ensure that the appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight are documented. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.
Federal Agency: Federal Government Federal Program Name: Research & Development Assistance Listing Number: 10.205, 10.216, 12.630, 93.859 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: Multiple Award Period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2024 Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Federal Government requires that when the reimbursement method is used, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the billing, unless the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity reasonably believes the request to be improper (2 CFR section 200.305(b)(3)). Per Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.303, nonfederal entities receiving federal awards are required to establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Condition: The University did not make payments to subrecipients within 30 days after receipt of invoices. Questioned costs: N/A Context: CLA tested a sample of 19 subrecipient payments and discovered that 7 of the 19 payments had exceptions. Cause: The University did not have an effective control in place to ensure subrecipient payments were paid timely. Effect: The University was not in compliance with the regulation to make payments to subrecipients within the required timeframe. Repeat Finding: Yes, 2023-014. Recommendation: We recommend that the University review and update current procedures to ensure subrecipient payments are paid timely. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.