Finding Text
FINDING 2025-007 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking and Level of Effort Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States, Assistance Listings Numbers: 84.027, 84.027X Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-148-ARP, 23611-148-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, and Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context An effective internal control system was not designed or implemented at the School Corporation to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. Earmarking The nonpublic proportionate share of expenditures for the 22611-148-ARP and 23611-148-PN01 grant awards could not be verified for proper classification and did not meet the proportionate share requirement. The 22611-148-ARP and 23611-148-PN01 grant awards did not meet the minimum nonpublic proportionate share of expenditures by $457 and $38,859, respectively. Level of Effort - Maintenance of Effort Maintenance of Effort is a district-level test that determines whether the School Corporation is providing a consistent level of financial support to public schools from year to year. This rule ensures that the School Corporation does not use Special Education funds to shore up reductions in state and local support for public education. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) performs the maintenance of effort calculation utilizing Form 9 information provided by the School Corporation from the prior year. As such, the amounts submitted to the IDOE in the prior year to be used in the computation are tested to ensure they were recorded properly in the School Corporation's records as to the account or object code. In fiscal year 2023-2024, 40 transactions were tested to ensure the disbursements were posted to the proper account and object code. For 21 of the 40 transactions selected in 2023-2024, appropriate supporting documentation was not provided for audit. As a result, 21 disbursements could not be verified as to whether they were posted to the proper account or object code. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 34 GRIFFITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) In addition, 25 disbursement line items were sampled from the IDOE Form 9 for 2023-2024 to ensure the amounts agreed to the ledger. One disbursement line item for 2023-2024 could not be traced to the ledger. Therefore, we were unable to determine if the disbursement line item was posted to the proper account or object code. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were isolated instances to 2023-2024. 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). . . ." 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: . . . (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." Cause Due to turnover of staffing in both the special education personnel and the School Corporation's administrative office along, with recordkeeping issues, the School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls that would have ensured compliance. The School Corporation also did not ensure that supporting documentation would have been maintained and made available for audit, as related to the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation cannot ensure compliance with the level of effort - maintenance of effort and earmarking requirements. As a result, amounts reported to the oversight agency were not accurately reported. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 35 GRIFFITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure the required nonpublic proportionate share funds are spent. In addition, proper recordkeeping should be maintained to ensure compliance with the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.