FINDING 2025-005 Subject: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund - Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listings Number: 84.425U Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425U200013, S425U210013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions - Wage Rate Requirements Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-001. Condition and Context Construction contracts in excess of $2,000 financed by federal assistance funds must pay wages not less than those established for the locality of the project (prevailing wage rates) by the Department of Labor (DOL) to their laborers and mechanics. Nonfederal entities are to include in their construction contracts subject to the wage rate requirements a provision that the contractor or subcontractor comply with these requirements and the DOL regulations. This would include a requirement to submit a copy of the payroll and statement of compliance to the entity for each week in which contract work was performed. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 25 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF DECATUR TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) The School Corporation's policies and procedures included ensuring that construction contracts in excess of $2,000 paid from federal grant funds included a prevailing wage rate clause prior to management signing the contract. However, one construction contract, with the initial price totaling $7,564,684, was paid from the COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund grant funds. This contract did not contain the required prevailing wage rate clause. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. 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). . . ." 29 CFR 5.5 states in part: "(a) Required contract clauses. The Agency head will cause or require the contracting officer to require the contracting officer to [sic] insert in full, or (for contracts covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR chapter 1)) by reference, in any contract in excess of $2,000 which is entered into for the actual construction, alteration and/or repair, including painting and decorating, of a public building or public work, or building or work financed in whole or in part from Federal funds or in accordance with guarantees of a Federal agency or financed from funds obtained by pledge of any contract of a Federal agency to make a loan, grant or annual contribution (except where a different meaning is expressly indicated), and which is subject to the labor standards provisions of any of the laws referenced by § 5.1, the following clauses . . . (1) Minimum wages- (i) Wage rates and fringe benefits. All laborers and mechanics employed or working upon the site of the work (or otherwise working in construction or development of the project under a development statute), will be paid unconditionally and not less often than once a week, and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account (except such payroll deductions as are permitted by regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act (29 CFR part 3)), the full amount of basic hourly wages and bona fide fringe benefits (or cash equivalents thereof) due at time of payment computed at rates not less than those contained in the wage determination of the Secretary of Labor which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the contractor and such laborers and mechanics. . . . (3) Records and certified payrolls- (ii) Certified payroll requirements- INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 26 METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT OF DECATUR TOWNSHIP SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (A) Frequency and method of submission. The contractor or subcontractor must submit weekly, for each week in which any DBA- or Related Acts-covered work is performed, certified payrolls to the [write in name of appropriate Federal agency] if the agency is a party to the contract, but if the agency is not such a party, the contractor will submit the certified payrolls to the applicant, sponsor, owner, or other entity, as the case may be, that maintains such records, for transmission to the [write in name of agency]. . . ." 2 CFR 200 Appendix II states in part: "In addition to other provisions required by the Federal agency or non-Federal entity; all contracts made by the non-Federal entity under the Federal award must contain provisions covering the following, as applicable. . . . (D) Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non- Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, 'Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction'). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week. . . ." Cause The School Corporation had entered into the contract with the vendor prior to the audit period and chose to not amend the contract to add the clause for wage rate requirements. Effect The lack of an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance with the grant agreement and the aforementioned compliance requirement to occur and remain undetected. Lack of compliance could result in contractors paying wages below those required by the DOL regulations. 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 There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish a system of internal controls and include the wage rate requirement clause in federally funded construction or renovation contracts. In addition, we recommended certified payrolls should be obtained as required for all federally funded construction or renovation contracts in excess of $2,000. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.