Finding Text
FINDING 2025-006 Subject: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund - Equipment and Real Property Management Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listings Numbers: 84.425D, 84.425U Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D210013, S425U210013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Equipment and Real Property Management Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-006. Condition and Context The School Corporation had not properly designed a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the Equipment and Real Property Management compliance requirement. The School Corporation did not have any policies or procedures in place to ensure a detailed capital asset listing was completed for the audit period and that the listing contained all the required information. During the audit period, the School Corporation purchased equipment totaling $11,495,065 with COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund funds. However, the purchased equipment was not included on a capital asset listing or physical inventory. Due to the lack of a detailed capital asset listing, the equipment was not adequately safeguarded or maintained. The School Corporation should include the following required information in the detailed capital asset listing for each capital asset purchased with federal funds: a description of the property, a serial number or other identification number, the source of funding for the property (including the federal award identification number (FAIN)), who holds title, the acquisition date, cost of the property, percentage of federal participation in the project costs for the federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, and use and condition of the property. A capital asset listing is to be maintained for assets purchased that exceed the School Corporation's capitalization threshold. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period for the ESSER II and ESSER III grants. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 26 MICHIGAN CITY AREA SCHOOLS SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 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 200.313(d) states in part: "Management requirements. Procedures for managing equipment (including replacement equipment), whether acquired in whole or in part under a Federal award, until disposition takes place will, as a minimum, meet the following requirements: (1) Property records must be maintained that include a description of the property, a serial number or other identification number, the source of funding for the property (including the FAIN), who holds title, the acquisition date, and cost of the property, percentage of Federal participation in the project costs for the Federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, use and condition of the property, and any ultimate disposition data including the date of disposal and sale price of the property. (2) A physical inventory of the property must be taken and the results reconciled with the property records at least once every two years. (3) A control system must be developed to ensure adequate safeguards to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the property. Any loss, damage, or theft must be investigated. (4) Adequate maintenance procedures must be developed to keep the property in good condition. . . ." Cause The School Corporation did not have policies or procedures in place to complete an inventory or maintain a fixed asset detail report. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, not all assets purchased with federal dollars were added to a capital asset listing. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 27 MICHIGAN CITY AREA SCHOOLS SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure asset records include all the necessary information, new assets are properly added, and any discrepancies are reconciled. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.