Finding 1210676 (2025-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
B
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-04-28
Audit: 399959
Organization: Hamtramck Public Schools (MI)
Auditor: YEO & YEO PC

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The district failed to provide necessary personnel activity reports for 25% of payroll transactions related to the Title I grant.
  • Impacted Requirements: Proper controls over payroll processes and documentation are not being followed due to high turnover in the grants and payroll department.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Review payroll processes with staff and implement semi-annual certifications for employees charged to the grant.

Finding Text

Program information: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies, Title I Part I Imp Basic Programs. U.S. Department of Education, Passed through Michigan Department of Education, AL #84.010. Criteria: The School District has a responsibility to implement proper controls over the payroll processes related to the grant. Condition: For the Title I grant, we noted the following: - 10 out of 40 payroll transactions, for which the district could not provide personnel activity reports (PAR’s) to support the time charged to the title I grant. - 1 out of 40 payroll transactions for which the district paid the employee the incorrect rate. Questioned costs: None Cause and effect: This was caused due to significant turnover in the grants and payroll department, resulting in a lack of controls being followed. Recommendation: We recommend that the district reviews payroll processes with all employees and supervisors to ensure that all required documentation is being completed and maintained. Additionally, we recommend that the district obtains semi-annual certifications for all employees directly charged to the grant. Views of responsible officials: Management agrees with the finding. Corrective action plan: See attached corrective action plan.

Corrective Action Plan

Person responsible for the corrective action: Nate Talbot, Grant Director, Jill Boston, Payroll Coordinator, and Cindy Szuminski, Finance Manager Corrective action planned: Grant compliance is handled by the Grants Department. They will ensure staff charged 100% to a grant have semi-annual certifications completed and those partially charged to a grant have documentation to support the percent of time charged to the grant. The Payroll Coordinator will review Payroll Activity Reports to ensure pay items include the proper hourly rate of pay. Where it makes sense, pay items will be updated to include the rate of pay when it differs from an employee’s hourly rate of pay. The Grant Director will also review payroll activity in SMART to ensure charges to grant funds align with the approved grant budgets. Anticipated completion date: June 30, 2026

Categories

No categories assigned yet.

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1210664 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210665 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210666 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210667 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210668 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210669 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210670 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210671 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210672 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210673 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210674 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1210675 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM $126,249
84.425 EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUND $102,359
10.553 SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM $96,739
10.559 SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN $68,249
84.424 STUDENT SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM $41,051
93.778 GRANTS TO STATES FOR MEDICAID $28,445
10.558 CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM $263
10.582 FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PROGRAM $0
10.579 CHILD NUTRITION DISCRETIONARY GRANTS LIMITED AVAILABILITY $0
84.027 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $0
84.002 ADULT EDUCATION - BASIC GRANTS TO STATES $0
84.010 TITLE I GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES $0
84.048 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION -- BASIC GRANTS TO STATES $0
84.365 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION STATE GRANTS $0
84.367 SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION STATE GRANTS (FORMERLY IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS) $0