Finding Text
Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Education Federal Program Name: Special Education Cluster Assistance Listing Number: 84,027, 84.173 Federal Award Identification Number: H027A240076 Pass-Through Agency: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Pass-Through Number: 240-000558-2025-0131 Award Period: November 15, 2024 through June 30, 2026 Compliance Requirement: Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Other Matter Criteria or specific requirement: A non-federal entity may charge only allowable costs incurred during the approved budget period of a federal award's period of performance and any costs incurred before the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity made the federal award that were authorized by the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity (2 CFR sections 200.308 200.309 and 200.403(h)). A period of performance may contain one or more budget periods. Condition and Context: Four (4) of four expenditures in our statistically valid sample were charged to the grant but incurred outside of the period of performance. Questioned costs: Known & Likely: $27,874 Cause: Procedures were not in place to ensure that expenditures charged to the grant program were incurred within the period of performance in the grant award. Effect: Noncompliance with federal compliance requirements occurred. Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend procedures be implemented to ensure that charges to the grant program are incurred within the period of performance included in the grant award. Views of responsible officials: We have reviewed the finding and have since implemented controls to ensure that expenditures are charged to a grant only after final approval has been issued in the grant portal. In this instance, the grant was submitted in a timely manner, and DESE provided comments that were addressed by the Hingham Public Schools grant writer. However, formal final approval had not yet been issued by DESE in the grant portal at the time the expenditures were posted to the grant.