FAC Explorer

Finding 1201452 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
AB
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-03-30
Audit: 395999
Organization: Heartwood AZ dba Heartwood Montessori (AZ)
Auditor: DRS CPA PLLC

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Unallowable costs totaling $1,467.53 were charged to the Preschool Development Grants program due to insufficient internal controls over expense review.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with Federal cost principles and documentation standards under Uniform Guidance 2 CFR §200.403 and §200.302 was not met.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Strengthen expenditure review processes, train grant administration staff on allowable costs, and audit current-year expenses for additional unallowable charges.

Finding Text

2025-001 Unallowable Costs CFDA No: 93.434 Program Name: Preschool Development Grants Award Number: 25FPDGCN-510841-01A Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Pass-Through Grantor: Arizona Department of Education Compliance Requirement: A. Activities Allowed or Unallowed, B. Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Questioned Costs: $1,034.75 Summary of Finding: Material weakness in internal controls over compliance and compliance Repeat Finding? No Condition During testing of expenses charged to the Preschool Development Grants program (PDG), Assistance Listing Number 93.434, we identified two of 33 expenses tested totaling $1,467.53 that were determined to be unallowable under the Federal award. A nonstatistical sample of 33 expenditures was selected for testing from the PDG program. The total sample amount tested was $164,654. Criteria Uniform Guidance 2 CFR §200.403 – Factors Affecting Allowability of Costs establishes that costs charged to a Federal award must meet the following criteria to be allowable:  Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and be allocable to the award.  Be adequately documented and consistent with the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Additionally, non-Federal entities must maintain financial management systems that ensure Federal award expenditures comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. (2 CFR §200.302 – Financial Management) The PDG was authorized under Section 9212 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Public Law 114-95, and funds must be used only for allowable program activities consistent with the grant’s objectives and federal cost principles. Cause Controls over the review and approval of expenditures charged to the Federal program were not sufficient to ensure that all costs incurred complied with Federal cost principles and program requirements prior to being charged to the grant. Effect As a result of the control deficiency, the District charged costs to the PDG program that did not meet Federal allowability requirements. This resulted in questioned costs totaling $1,467.53 and increases the risk that additional unallowable expenditures could be charged to the program without proper review. Recommendation We recommend that the District strengthen controls over the review and approval of expenditures charged to Federal programs by:  Implementing procedures to ensure expenditures charged to the PDG B-5 program are reviewed for allowability prior to being charged to the grant.  Providing training to personnel responsible for grant administration regarding Federal cost principles and allowable expenditures.  Reviewing current-year expenditures charged to the program to determine whether additional unallowable costs were incurred

Corrective Action Plan

2025-001 Unallowable Costs Planned Corrective Action Plan: Heartwood agrees with the finding and acknowledges that two expenditures charged to the Preschool Development Grants (PDG) program were determined to be unallowable under Federal cost principles. To address this issue and prevent similar occurrences in the future, Heartwood will implement the following corrective actions: 1. Enhanced Review Procedures Heartwood will implement additional review procedures for expenditures charged to Federal programs to ensure that all costs are evaluated for allowability under Uniform Guidance (2 CFR §200.403) and the specific terms and conditions of the PDG grant prior to being charged to the grant. 2. Training for Program and Fiscal Staff Program administrators and fiscal staff responsible for processing or approving grant expenditures will receive training on Federal cost principles and allowable expenditures under Uniform Guidance and the PDG program requirements. 3. Monitoring and Oversight Heartwood will require periodic supervisory review of grant expenditures to confirm that costs charged to the program are properly supported, reasonable, and allowable. 4. Review of Current-Year Expenditures Heartwood will review other expenditures charged to the PDG program during the fiscal year to determine whether additional unallowable costs were incurred and will take appropriate corrective action if necessary. 5. Disposition of Questioned Costs Heartwood will work with the pass-through entity or Federal awarding agency to determine the appropriate disposition of the questioned costs totaling $1,467.53, which may include reimbursement to the grant if required. Anticipated Completion Date: December 31, 2026 Responsible Contact Person: Sherri Sampson, Executive Director

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1201453 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.434 EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT/PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS $785,907
84.282 CHARTER SCHOOLS $331,370
84.010 TITLE I GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES $33,781
84.027 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $23,820
84.367 SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION STATE GRANTS (FORMERLY IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS) $3,400
84.173 SPECIAL EDUCATION PRESCHOOL GRANTS $101