Finding Text
Finding #2025-001 – Significant Deficiency and Other Noncompliance. Applicable federal program: U. S. Department of Education, Passed through Texas Education Agency, Special Education Cluster (IDEA), Assistance Listing #: 84.027A, 84.173A, Contract Numbers: H027A230008, H027A240008, H027A250008, H173A240004, H173A250004, Contract Years: 08/07/23 – 09/30/24, 08/22/24 – 09/30/25, 07/17/25 – 09/30/26. Criteria: Allowable costs – The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, §200.430 requires that charges to awards for salaries and wages be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed. These records must 1) be supported by a system of internal control which provides reasonable assurance that the charges are accurate, allowable and properly allocated; 2) reasonably reflect the total activity for which the employee is compensated; 3) comply with the established accounting policies and practices of the agency; and 4) support the distribution of the employee’s salary or wages among specific activities or cost objectives if the employee works on more than one activity. SWWF’s procedures for allocating salaries of employees who work in more than one program are not sufficient to ensure that costs are appropriately allocated amongst federal and state funding streams. Condition and context: Of the sample of 25 payroll transactions tested (pay amount for an employee for a pay period) for the Special Education Cluster (IDEA), seven transactions were under-charged to the grant as compared to the timesheet, for a total of $1,001, and two transactions were over-charged for a total of $1,559. The net amount over-charged to the grant of the sample tested was $558. Cause: There are no written policies and procedures related to the process of allocating salaries for employees who work in more than one program. Timesheets which indicate actual estimated time and effort are not consistently used to allocate payroll costs to federal programs, but instead the allocation amounts are dictated by the budget as compared to cumulative costs. Effect: Payroll costs may not be properly charged to the benefitting federal, state, and other funding streams, resulting in a misstatement of federal expenditures. Questioned costs: $558. Recommendation: SWWF should establish written policies and procedures and provide training to its employees on the policies and procedures for allocating salaries in accordance with Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, §200.430. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: Management agrees with the finding. See Corrective Action Plan.