Finding 1097498 (2024-005)

Material Weakness
Requirement
A
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-02-03
Audit: 340957

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The School District lacks a formal review process for grant budgets and expenditures, leading to potential noncompliance with federal regulations.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 34 CFR Section 299.2(b) requires proper documentation and approval for all grant-related costs.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The School District should enhance controls and processes for reviewing grant expenditures to ensure all costs are allowable and properly documented.

Finding Text

Assistance Listing Number, Federal Agency, and Program Name - Input text Federal Award Identification Number and Year - 84.425U - COVID-19 Education Stabilization Fund Pass-through Entity - Colorado Department of Education Finding Type - Material weakness Repeat Finding - No Criteria - Under 34 CFR Section 299.2(b), the School District has to ensure that funds are used in compliance with regulatory provisions and spent only for reasonable and necessary costs of the program. The School District is required to have supporting documentation and approval of grant expenditures to ensure they are an allowable and supported cost under the grant requirements. Condition - During allowability testing it was discovered the District has no formalized review of the grant budget or expenditures charged to grant. This included expenditures related to payroll and indirect costs. Questioned Costs - None Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed - N/A Context - Audit procedures designated testing payroll and indirect cost samples and there was no formalized review documented before they were charged to the grant and reimbursement was requested throughout the entire population tested. Cause and Effect - Lack of controls and review surrounding expenditures charged to the grant could lead to improper expenditures being charges and noncompliance. Recommendation - It is recommended that the School District review its controls and processes to ensure that they have proper controls in place related to grant budgets and the review of expenditures being charged to the grant to ensure they are allowable. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan - Weld County School District RE-1 is a samll Rural District with limited personnel resources across the district, including the finance department. The School District worked to set up a formalized review process for grant budgets and expenditures charged to grants. The School District was able to implement the process at the end of FY 24. The School District will continue to use and review this process and refine it through FY25 and FY26.

Categories

Subrecipient Monitoring Cash Management Material Weakness Special Tests & Provisions

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 521056 2024-005
    Material Weakness
  • 521057 2024-005
    Material Weakness
  • 1097499 2024-005
    Material Weakness

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.010 Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies $209,154
84.425 Covid-19 - Education Stabilization Fund $157,526
10.553 School Breakfast Program $100,538
84.365 English Language Acquisition State Grants $75,586
10.555 National School Lunch Program - Commodities $54,521
84.367 Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (formerly Improving Teacher Quality State Grants) $34,742
84.048 Career and Technical Education -- Basic Grants to States $25,095
84.424 Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program $23,021
10.558 Child and Adult Care Food Program $6,745
93.981 Improving Student Health and Academic Achievement Through Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Management of Chronic Conditions in Schools $5,035
84.011 Migrant Education State Grant Program $3,240
10.555 National School Lunch Program $1,730