Finding 1222562 (2025-009)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-06-30

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: PRDE failed to submit the Data Collection Form and Reporting Package on time, breaching federal reporting requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 2 CFR § 200.512 for timely audit report submissions is critical for maintaining federal funding.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: PRDE should enhance accounting practices and internal controls to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting moving forward.

Finding Text

FINDING REFERENCE NUMBER 2025-009 FEDERAL PROGRAMS ALL MAJOR PROGRAMS AWARD NUMBERS ALL MAJOR PROGRAMS COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT REPORTING TYPE OF FINDING INTERNAL CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE – SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY AND NONCOMPLIANCE CRITERIA 2 CFR § 200.512 Report Submission, (a) (1) The audit must be completed and the data collection form described in paragraph (b) of this Section and reporting package described in paragraph (c) of this Section must be submitted within the earlier of 30 calendar days after receipt of the auditor’s report(s), or nine months after the end of the audit period. If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, the reporting package is due the next business day. STATEMENT OF CONDITION The PRDE did not submit the Data Collection Form and Reporting Package to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse of fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 during the required period. QUESTIONED COSTS None PERSPECTIVE INFORMATION The PRDE was unable to provide a timely financial statement and the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA), and related supporting documentation in order to apply required audit procedures. This is a systemic deficiency. On March 2026, PRDE requested a waiver to US Department of Education, establishing why the Single Audit might not be issued on or before the due date, but no response was received. STATEMENT OF CAUSE The PRDE was obtaining all required data for the Programs ALN 97.036 and 14.228; and validating all required information as the Compliance Supplement 2025 and the Uniform Guidance version of 2024 requires. The Compliance Supplement was issued on November 27, 2025, affecting the timing of the SEFA preparation in accordance with the requirements. POSSIBLE ASSERTED EFFECT The PRDE did not comply with the submission date required for the Data Collection Form and Reporting Package, this could affect the continuance and new approvals of Federal funds. IDENTIFICATION AS A REPEAT FINDING This is a repeat finding (Finding Reference Number 2024-010). RECOMMENDATION We recommend the PRDE maintain adequate accounting records related to the non-Federal and Federal funds in order to properly prepare the financial statement and SEFA accurately, and in a timely manner. In addition, PRDE should continue the implementation of internal controls in accordance with the Uniform Guidance.

Corrective Action Plan

VIEWS OF RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS The Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE) acknowledges the late submission of the Data Collection Form and Reporting Package for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, and recognizes the importance of timely compliance with 2 CFR §200.512(a)(1). The PRDE respectfully offers the following additional context regarding the factors that contributed to the delay, several of which were outside the Department's control. First, the PRDE acknowledges that the reconciliation of expenditures related to certain federally funded disaster recovery programs administered outside the Department — specifically the CDBG-DR (ALN 14.228) and Disaster Grants – Public Assistance (ALN 97.036) programs — presented recurring challenges. Information regarding these expenditures is provided to the PRDE by external program administrators, and the data received did not always arrive with sufficient clarity to allow the Department to perform the corresponding adjustments to the SEFA without additional follow-up and clarification. Second, and as the principal factor affecting the submission timeline, the 2025 OMB Compliance Supplement was not released until November 2025, substantially later than its customary release date and later than in prior audit cycles. The Department's external auditors communicated to the PRDE that audit testing of major programs could not begin until the Compliance Supplement was available, since it establishes the compliance requirements and audit procedures applicable to each major program. As a direct consequence of this delay, which is publicly documented and affected single audits nationwide, the available window to complete required testing was substantially compressed, and an extension of the submission deadline was requested due to the limited time remaining to perform the necessary audit procedures. The PRDE notes that while it continues to strengthen its internal procedures for accumulating and reconciling SEFA-related information — particularly for programs administered by external entities — the timing of the late submission for this audit cycle was significantly influenced by the delayed availability of the Compliance Supplement, a circumstance affecting auditees and auditors broadly and not unique to the Department. IMPLEMENTATION DATE Fiscal Year 2026-2027 RESPONSIBLE PERSON Evelyn E. Rodríguez Cardé, MBA Director of Finance

Categories

Reporting

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1222516 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222517 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222518 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222519 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222520 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222521 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222522 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222523 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222524 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222525 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222526 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222527 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222528 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222529 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222530 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222531 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222532 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222533 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222534 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222535 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222536 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222537 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222538 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222539 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222540 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222541 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222542 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222543 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222544 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222545 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222546 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222547 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222548 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222549 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222550 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222551 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222552 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222553 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222554 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222555 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222556 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222557 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222558 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222559 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222560 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222561 2025-009
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222563 2025-010
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222564 2025-010
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222565 2025-010
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222566 2025-011
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222567 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222568 2025-010
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.010 TITLE I GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES $541.61M
84.027 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $167.15M
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM $116.64M
84.367 SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION STATE GRANTS (FORMERLY IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS) $79.69M
97.036 DISASTER GRANTS - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS) $76.50M
84.938 DISASTER RECOVERY ASSISTANCE FOR EDUCATION $50.29M
84.287 TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS $34.23M
10.558 CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM $33.13M
10.553 SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM $24.17M
84.002 ADULT EDUCATION - BASIC GRANTS TO STATES $11.64M
84.048 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION -- BASIC GRANTS TO STATES $11.28M
10.559 SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN $10.36M
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $8.25M
84.365 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION STATE GRANTS $6.00M
84.173 SPECIAL EDUCATION PRESCHOOL GRANTS $4.97M
84.063 FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM $4.85M
84.369 GRANTS FOR STATE ASSESSMENTS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES $4.33M
14.228 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/STATE'S PROGRAM AND NON-ENTITLEMENT GRANTS IN HAWAII $3.77M
84.196 EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH $2.78M
84.041 IMPACT AID $2.53M
45.310 GRANTS TO STATES $2.27M
10.560 STATE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES FOR CHILD NUTRITION $2.05M
84.424 STUDENT SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM $1.50M
10.579 CHILD NUTRITION DISCRETIONARY GRANTS LIMITED AVAILABILITY $491,322
84.425 EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUND $404,070
84.013 TITLE I STATE AGENCY PROGRAM FOR NEGLECTED AND DELINQUENT CHILDREN AND YOUTH $175,345
10.541 CHILD NUTRITION-TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION GRANT $166,600
84.033 FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM $99,808
84.007 FEDERAL SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANTS $75,482
93.079 COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS TO PROMOTE ADOLESCENT HEALTH THROUGH SCHOOL-BASED SURVEILLANCE AND RISK BEHAVIOR REDUCTION $10,000
10.582 FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PROGRAM $6,205
10.646 SUMMER ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN $4,478