Information on the federal program: Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) – Activities Allowed or Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, Special Education Preschool Grants Assistance Listing Numbers: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-047-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Activities Allowed or Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Audit Finding: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over 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). . . ." 34 CFR 300.202(a) states: "General. Amounts provided to the LEA under Part B of the Act – (1) Must be expended in accordance with the applicable provisions of this part; (2) Must be used only to pay the excess costs of providing special education and related services to children with disabilities, consistent with paragraph (b) of this section; and (3) Must be used to supplement State, local, and other Federal funds and not to supplant those funds." 34 CFR 300.208 states: "(a) Uses. Notwithstanding §§ 300.202, 300.203(b), and 300.162(b), funds provided to an LEA under Part B of the Act may be used for the following activities: Services and aids that also benefit nondisabled children. For the costs of special education and related services, and supplementary aids and services, provided in a regular class or other education-related setting to a child with a disability in accordance with the IEP of the child, even if one or more nondisabled children benefit from these services. (2) Early intervening services. To develop and implement coordinated, early intervening educational services in accordance with § 300.226. (3) High cost special education and related services. To establish and implement cost or risk sharing funds, consortia, or cooperatives for the LEA itself, or for LEAs working in a consortium of which the LEA is a part, to pay for high cost special education and related services. (b) Administrative case management. An LEA may use funds received under Part B of the Act to purchase appropriate technology for recordkeeping, data collection, and related case management activities of teachers and related services personnel providing services described in the IEP of children with disabilities, that is needed for the implementation of those case management activities." 34 CFR 300.800 states: "The Secretary provides grants under section 619 of the Act to assist States to provide special education and related services in accordance with Part B of the Act – (a) To children with disabilities aged three through five years; and (b) At a State's discretion, to two-year-old children with disabilities who will turn three during the school year." 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: (a) Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and be allocable thereto under these principles. (b) Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in these principles or in the Federal award as to types or amount of cost items . . . (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-9 states in part: “(a) The public agency must hold title to and exercise continuing administrative control of all: (1) property; (2) equipment; and (3) supplies; the public agency acquires with Part B funds for the benefit of nonpublic school students with disabilities. (b) The public agency may place equipment and supplies in a nonpublic school for the period of time needed to provide special education and related services. The public agency must ensure that the equipment and supplies: (1) are used only for the provision of special education and related services; and (2) can be removed from the nonpublic school without remodeling the nonpublic school facility.” Condition: An effective internal control system was not in place at the School Corporation to ensure compliance with requirements related to the Special Education Cluster program and Activities Allowed or Unallowed and Allowable Costs compliance requirements. Cause: Management was not aware that non-public school officials have no authority to obligate or receive federal funds and that School Corporation must maintain control of all Special Education funds, property, equipment and supplies; therefore, reimbursements were made to a non-public school for proportionate share expenditures. Effect: The payment of proportionate share expenditures to a non-public school resulted in the potential misuse of funds that were meant to pay the excess costs of providing special education to students. The unallowable nature of these expenditures may also result in the School Corporation not meeting their requirements related to Non-Public Proportionate Share for the respective grants. Questioned Costs: There were questioned costs identified in the amount of $3,399. Context: During fiscal year 2023-2024, the School Corporation was a member as well as the fiscal agent of Cooperative School Services (Cooperative). The Cooperative operated the special education programs and spent the federal money on behalf of its member schools. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. For costs related to non-public schools, the practice of the Cooperative was to separate out the required amount for each member school from the Cooperative budget, and the member schools would work with the non-public schools to determine how to spend their proportionate share amount. Each member school would then request reimbursement from the Cooperative for non-public school expenditures incurred. This allowed both the Cooperative and member schools to maintain control of all Special Education funds, property, equipment and supplies. In the initial sample of 25 expenditures, there was no noncompliance identified. However, while performing a review of transactions for the Period of Performance compliance requirement, it was noted that non-public schools received direct reimbursements from the Cooperative for their proportionate share expenditures. A total of 13 expenditures were made from Special Education funds to non-public schools on behalf of the member schools during the audit period. Of the 13 expenditures, 3, totaling $3,399, were made on behalf of the School Corporation to a non-public school. In addition, one of the expenditures was used to reimburse the non-public school for the purchase of gift cards and certificates, totaling $670, which was not for the benefit of non-public students. The lack of controls and noncompliance was an isolated to the 22611-047-PN01 grant award. This issue was isolated to fiscal year 2024. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: No Recommendation: We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish a system of internal controls to ensure that no direct reimbursements are made to the non-public schools and to ensure compliance with the grant agreement and the Activities Allowed or Unallowed and the Allowable Costs/Cost Principles compliance requirements. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management has agreed with the finding and prepared a corrective action plan.