Finding 1208846 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
B
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-04-27
Audit: 399773
Organization: Town of Westford (MA)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: There is a significant deficiency in internal controls regarding timely completion of time and effort certifications for payroll transactions.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with CFR Title 2 Part 200.430, which mandates accurate records for salary and wage charges to federal awards.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Strengthen procedures to ensure timely completion of time and effort certifications for all applicable payroll transactions.

Finding Text

2025-002 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Education Federal Program Name: Special Education Cluster Assistance Listing Number: 84.027, 84.173 Federal Award Identification Number: H027A230076, H027A230039, FH027A230076 Pass-Through Agency: Massachusetts Department of Education Pass-Through Number(s): 240-563190-2025-0326-5.0, 262-566046-2025-0326-5.0, 0274-000662- 2025-0326 Award Period: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 Compliance Requirement: Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 2 Part 200.430 indicates charges to federal awards for salaries and wages must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed. These records must be supported by a system of internal control which provides reasonable assurance that the charges are accurate, allowable, and properly allocated. Such records must also reasonably reflect the total activity for which the employee is compensated by the non-Federal entity. Condition and Context: For one (1) of fifteen (15) payroll transactions tested, the time and effort certification was not completed in a timely manner. Questioned Costs: None. Cause: Procedures were not in place to ensure that time and effort certifications were completed in a timely manner for all applicable transactions. Effect: Internal control finding. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend procedures be strengthened to ensure that time and effort certifications are completed in a timely manner. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: Management agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

2025-002 Special Education Cluster – 84.027, 84.173 Recommendation: We recommend procedures be strengthened to ensure that time and effort certifications are completed in a timely manner. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: The District has begun reviewing and strengthening its internal procedures to ensure that required time and effort certifications for employees charged to the Special Education Cluster are completed accurately and in a timely manner. Going forward, the District will reinforce timelines for completion, provide reminders to responsible staff, and implement additional monitoring procedures to ensure certifications are collected, reviewed, and retained in accordance with federal requirements. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Special Education Department, in coordination with Business office. Planned completion date for corrective action plan: April 30, 2026

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Significant Deficiency Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1208843 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1208844 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1208845 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $2.22M
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM $234,936
10.553 SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM $68,343
84.010 TITLE I GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES $57,840
93.008 MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS SMALL GRANT PROGRAM $46,436
66.818 BROWNFIELDS MULTIPURPOSE, ASSESSMENT, REVOLVING LOAN FUND, AND CLEANUP COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS $45,175
84.367 SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION STATE GRANTS (FORMERLY IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS) $41,740
93.069 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS $33,550
97.044 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT $20,683
84.173 SPECIAL EDUCATION PRESCHOOL GRANTS $20,281
84.027 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $18,010
16.607 BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM $17,950
16.922 EQUITABLE SHARING PROGRAM $17,215
84.365 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION STATE GRANTS $17,012
16.585 TREATMENT COURT DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAM $14,062
84.424 STUDENT SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM $13,842
20.600 STATE AND COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SAFETY $9,440
93.103 FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH $2,727