Finding 2025-002 – Maintenance of Effort Significant Deficiency | Federal Program: Title I, Part A (84.010) Response Steel City Academy recognizes that Maintenance of Effort (MOE) calculations rely on accurate cash-basis expense data reported on the Form 9 and that prior inaccuracies could impact IDOE’s calculations. 24 Beginning July 1, 2025, the School implemented comprehensive corrective actions to improve Form 9 reporting, fund balance accuracy, and expense classification by consolidating all financial activity into QuickBooks Online. All expenses are now recorded by the Finance Coordinator using fund, program, and object codes aligned with IDOE reporting guidelines, ensuring Form 9 expenses are fully supported by underlying financial records. To ensure accurate fund balances, audited reconciliation worksheets are used to validate beginning-of-year balances prior to Form 9 submission. Grant expenditures and remaining balances are reviewed monthly to ensure proper classification and alignment between expenses and recognized revenue. The School has also engaged directly with the IDOE Form 9 team for technical guidance. The Executive Director provides direct oversight and performs a final review of Form 9 submissions to ensure compliance with reporting guidelines. These corrective actions are designed to ensure accurate, reliable Form 9 reporting and to prevent recurrence of this deficiency in future reporting periods.