Finding Text
FINDING 2025-001 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): 24611-009-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 15 PIKE COUNTY SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-004. Condition and Context The School Corporation did not have an effective internal control system in place to ensure compliance with the earmarking requirements and to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met. Specifically, internal controls were not designed to ensure expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities were appropriately identified, tracked in the accounting records, and accurately reported. The School Corporation did not meet the earmarking requirements for grant award number 24611-009-PN01. The required expenditures for nonpublic proportionate share was $4,330; however, the School Corporation could only provide documentation of expenditures totaling $2,250. This resulted in an underexpenditure of $2,080 relative to the required set-aside amount for the grant. In addition, the School Corporation did not track the expenditures in a separate line item within the ledger to specifically identify services provided for nonpublic school students. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to 24611-009-PN01 grant award. 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: . . . (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed, . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 PIKE COUNTY SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Cause The School Corporation had a lack of documented internal controls and oversight regarding specific grant compliance requirements. The School Corporation Treasurer was unaware of the mandate to separately track and ensure full expenditure of nonpublic proportionate share funds. This lack of knowledge led to an unverified assumption that the Special Education Cooperative was performing this tracking function on the School Corporation's behalf, which was not the case. Effect The School Corporation's lack of internal controls resulted in noncompliance with federal earmarking requirements and the terms of the grant award. The outcome was an underexpenditure of $2,080, representing funds intended for eligible nonpublic students. This amount constitutes questioned costs and may be subject to repayment to the granting agency. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs We identified $2,080 in known questioned costs as noted above in the Condition and Context. Recommendation Management of the School Corporation should develop written policies and procedures which would require tracking of actual nonpublic proportionate share expenditures. Documentation should be maintained to show how these expenditures are being tracked to ensure compliance with the earmarking requirements. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.