Finding 1165424 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
AB
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2025-12-18

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Payroll costs for the Special Education Cluster were incorrectly coded, leading to potential misstatements in federal expenditures.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 2 CFR 200.430, which mandates that costs charged to federal awards must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a process for timely reconciliation of eligible employees to ensure accurate coding in the general ledger before reimbursement requests.

Finding Text

Assistance Listing, Federal Agency, and Program Name - 84.027, 84.173, Department of Education, Special Education Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year - 250450 2425, 250493 2425 Pass through Entity - Michigan Department of Education Finding Type - Material weakness Repeat Finding - No Criteria - Per 2 CFR 200.430, costs charged to federal awards must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable for the performance of the award. Payroll costs must be supported by appropriate documentation and reflect work performed for the federal program. Condition - The fiscal year 2025 schedule of federal expenditures of federal awards (SEFA) that was initially provided to the auditors included payroll and fringe expenses that were incorrectly coded to the grant. Questioned Costs - None If questioned costs are not determinable, description of why known questioned costs were undetermined or otherwise could not be reported - N/A Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed - N/A Context - Within the Special Education Cluster, prior to submission of reimbursement requests, three employee's time was coded to the Special Education Cluster when these employees were not eligible to be covered by the grant funds. Additionally, one employees' time that should have been coded to the grant based on qualifications was not coded to the grant. Cause and Effect - Although identified prior to submission of request for reimbursement from the granting agency, the Agency did not perform a timely reconciliation of the listing of grant eligible employees to those employees that were being coded to the Special Education Cluster in the general ledger, causing expenses for the Special Education Cluster to be misstated on the on the draft SEFA initially provided to the auditors. Recommendation - The Agency should put in place processes to ensure that a timely reconciliation of the listing of grant eligible employees to those employees that were being coded to the Special Education Cluster in the general ledger is performed during reviews of each reimbursement request. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan - The Agency agrees with the recommendations above and will implement a process to ensure that a reconciliation of the listing of grant eligible employees to those employees that were being coded to the Special Education Cluster in the general ledger is performed.

Corrective Action Plan

Condition: The fiscal year 2025 schedule of federal expenditures of federal awards (SEFA) that was initially provided to the auditors included payroll and fringe expenses that were incorrectly coded to the grant. Planned Corrective Action: The Agency agrees with the recommendations above and will implement a process to ensure that a reconciliation of the listing of grant eligible employees to those employees that were being coded to the Special Education Cluster in the general ledger is performed. Contact person responsible for corrective action: Emily Herbert, Director of Business and Finance Anticipated Completion Date: June 30, 2026

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Cash Management Material Weakness Reporting

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1165422 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1165423 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.010 TITLE I GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES $884,723
84.048 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION -- BASIC GRANTS TO STATES $705,513
93.778 MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM $403,235
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $401,786
84.181 SPECIAL EDUCATION-GRANTS FOR INFANTS AND FAMILIES $195,539
84.027 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $172,600
84.173 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $134,106
10.185 LOCAL FOOD FOR SCHOOLS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROGRAM $25,000
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM - COMMODITIES $23,456
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM - CASH ASSISTANCE $20,767
84.424 STUDENT SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM $20,000
84.013 TITLE I STATE AGENCY PROGRAM FOR NEGLECTED AND DELINQUENT CHILDREN AND YOUTH $19,698
10.553 SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM $12,150
84.196 EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH $6,578
84.425 COVID 19 - EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUND $6,351