Finding 1136197 (2024-004)

Material Weakness
Requirement
BL
Questioned Costs
$1
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-05-07
Audit: 355704
Auditor: Eccezion

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The District submitted incorrect reimbursement claims based on purchase orders instead of actual invoices, leading to material misstatements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Expenditures must be based on incurred costs as per grant guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement procedures to ensure claims reflect actual amounts invoiced and paid, with thorough reviews before submission.

Finding Text

1.FINDING NUMBER: 2024 - 004S 2.THIS FINDING IS: x New 3. Federal Program Name and Year: ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND 4. Project No.: 5. CFDA No.: 23-4998-D3, 25-4998-EB, 24-4998-E2, 24-4998-E3 5. CFDA No.: 84.425 6. Passed Through: ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 7. Federal Agency: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 8. Criteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory, or other citation): The District can only submit costs for reimbursements that have been incurred for purposes of the grant. 9. Condition: Some of the expenditures submitted for reimbursement were incorrect due to the District using purchase orders to prepare the expenditure reports, not amounts invoiced and paid, as well as reports not being reviewed properly. 10. Questioned Costs: $21,232.50 11. Context: During the audit it was noted that quarterly expenditure reports are not reviewed properly before being submitted for reimbursement. We noted that expenditure reports are prepared based on purchase orders, not actual invoices. This resulted in some purchase orders being claimed multiple times, amounts being claimed for expenditures that were not paid yet, or amounts invoiced/paid being less than the amounts claimed based on the purchase orders. 12. Effect: Grant expenditures submitted for reimbursement were materially misstated. 13. Cause: Quarterly expenditures are not reviewed properly before being submitted for reimbursement. 14. Recommendation: The District should prepare claims based on actual amounts invoiced and paid, and not use purchase orders in the preparation of expenditure reports. Reports should be reviewed carefully before being submitted. 15. Management's response: Management plans to implement procedures to ensure that expenditure reports are prepared based on invoices paid and there is careful review of reports.

Categories

Questioned Costs Procurement, Suspension & Debarment Cash Management

Other Findings in this Audit

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.010 Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies $377,200
84.425 Education Stabilization Fund $269,042
10.553 School Breakfast Program $167,369
84.367 Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (formerly Improving Teacher Quality State Grants) $96,930
93.778 Medical Assistance Program $65,360
84.365 English Language Acquisition State Grants $57,835
84.027 Special Education Grants to States $40,873
84.048 Career and Technical Education -- Basic Grants to States $31,865
84.173 Special Education Preschool Grants $16,842
10.555 National School Lunch Program $6,180