CONDITION: During my review of the District’s compliance with the laws and regulations related to filing its federal grant program Final Expenditure Reports (FER), I noted that the School District did not file the Final Expenditure Report for the ESSER I grant program. The report was required to be filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) no later than 90 days after the end date of the grant period (September 30, 2022), or within 30 days of expending all grant funding.
CRITERIA: The Department of Education requires the completion and submission of a ‘Final Expenditure Report’ (FER) within 30 days of expending all grant funding. In addition, Section 2 CFR 200.344 of the Uniform Guidance requires the submission of financial reports no later than 90 calendar days after the end date of the grant period for performance.
RECOMMENDATION: I recommend that the District develop fiscal procedures to ensure that ‘Final Expenditure Reports’ for future fiscal years are completed and filed in a timely manner based on supporting financial information obtained from the District’s business office, in order to 1) comply with PDE reporting requirements for the District’s applicable federal programs, and 2) to avoid any future sanctions or withholding of grant monies from PDE as a result of not filing these reports in a timely manner.
MANAGEMENT’S PLANNED CORRECTIVE ACTION: Management is currently implementing procedures to ensure the timely preparation and submission of all required federal financial report filings with the Department of Education, including but not limited to, the Final Expenditure Reports in compliance with PDE rules and regulations. The timeframe for implementation of these duties is effective immediately.