2024-011 Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance The Child Nutrition Cluster: 10.555 – National School Lunch Program and 10.559 – Summer Food Service Program 10.558 – Child and Adult Care Food Program Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Education Contract Number: 359-46-477-8 Condition: Based on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of the Budget, Bureau of Audits (Commonwealth) review of CBS Food Programs banking policies, it was noted that the CBS Food Program did not establish appropriate controls to ensure bank account access changes and bank account closures could be promptly completed when organizational or personnel changes merited such actions. CBS Food Program management noted two instances during the engagement period in which lack of cooperation from parties with CBS Food Program bank account authority or access prevented the Food Program from closing bank accounts in an expeditious manner. This resulted in the CBS Food Program simultaneously having bank accounts open at three different banks for a portion of the audit period. As of May 2025, CBS Food Program only actively banks with one institution. Of the accounts with the other institutions, one account is closed, and the other remains open, but inactive because CBS Food Program has not initiated any account-related activity for an extended period of time. According to CBS Food Program management, they are working to close the inactive account, but closure requires assistance from Congregation Beth Solomon which has not been cooperative. The Commonwealth noted that CBS Food Program has inefficient control procedures in place over the issuance of high-value checks. Following the separation of CBS Food Program's prior CEO, the Food Program opened a new bank account in order to remove the prior CEO's access to food program funds. The former CEO was not cooperative in removing his access to the bank account the Food Program used at the time of his separation, so CBS Food Program determined moving the Food Program's funds to a new bank was in the best interest of the organization. To move the Food Program's funds from the old bank to the new bank, CBS Food Program's Director of Finance wrote two checks for $1.5 million dollars each. While CBS Food Program's Director of Finance obtained approval from the board prior to preparing and depositing the checks in the new bank account, a secondary signature was not obtained as CBS Food Program policy did not require a second signature for any check regardless of amount. Recommendation: CBS Food Program should assign bank authorization and access roles to appropriate CBS representatives to ensure access is appropriately limited, but that changes to account authorization can be completed timely when organizational or personnel changes merit such modifications. CBS Food Program should establish, document, and adhere to, a policy requiring documented prior approval and dual signatures on checks exceeding a predetermined threshold set by management and/or the board of directors. Repeat Finding: No Explanation of Disagreement with Audit Finding There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Planned completion date for corrective action plan: June 30, 2025 Action taken in response to finding: Community Benefit Solutions does not dispute this finding and provides the following for the purpose of additional clarification. Between February 14, 2024, and June 10, 2024, the departure of the Farmer CEO and several key Board members resulted in the absence of authorized signers. In order to expeditiously remove individuals from accessing bank funds during this transition, the Community Benefit Solutions Board of Directors granted the Accounting Associate authority to sign all relevant checks and take steps necessary to remove those individuals. Going forward, Community Benefit Solutions will, with the assistance of either Board-approved counsel or outside independent audit firm, develop and implement thresholds for dual signature requirements. Moreover, Community Benefit Solutions will work with JP Morgan Chase Bank to ensure that authorization and authority can be expeditiously amended in the event such a need arises.