Finding 504214 (2022-003)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
ABF
Questioned Costs
$1
Year
2022
Accepted
2024-10-30

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Lack of proper documentation for expenditures related to the ESSER funds, leading to unsupported costs totaling $27,090.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with federal guidelines on allowable activities and cost principles, particularly in maintaining records for salaries and expenditures.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a robust disbursement process to ensure all expenses are documented and compliant, with oversight from multiple staff members to prevent future issues.

Finding Text

2022-003 Supporting Documents Relating to Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief State Code 50000 Federal Compliance Program Name: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER, ESSER I, ESSER II, ESSER III, and Learning Loss) Fund Federal Financial Assistance Listing Numbers: 84.425, 84.425C and 84.425U Federal Agency: U.S Department of Education Compliance Requirements: A. Activities Allowed or Unallowed; B. Allowable Cost Principles; F. Equipment/ Real Property Management Criteria A. Activities Allowed or Unallowed Funds may be used for a wide range of activities to address needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic as listed in Section 18003(d) of the CARES Act. B. Allowable Cost Principles 2 CRF Section 200.430(i) requires the LEA to maintain records generally maintained for salaries and wages. F. Equipment/ Real Property/ Management For capital equipment or improvements to land, buildings, or equipment that were purchased with grant funds, the governor or State Educational Agency (SEA), as the pass-through entity, must provide prior approval to subrecipients. Condition Documentation to support the propriety of expenditures (e.g. date, purpose, amount, classification, approval, etc.) was unavailable or nonexistent for planned audit procedures related to internal control testing and substantive testing of compliance to be performed. Effect District staff was unable to provide sufficient and appropriate audit evidence for all expenses included in the audit sample. Cause An effective disbursement system to ensure compliance with the requirements of the program has either not been established or is not working as designed. Questioned Cost Unsupported expenses totaled $27,090. Repeat Finding This is not a repeat finding. Recommendation Establish a disbursement process that accounts for all expenditures and provides a clear audit trail of compliance with specific federal program compliance requirements exists. District Response and Action Plan We already have revised procedures for the finding. We now have more than 1 person responsible for the filing of the invoices and the purchase orders, so nothing gets misplaced again. We realized how important this is and will not allow it to happen again. The Business Manager and District Secretary are overseeing accounts payable at this time and going forward. The Superintendent / Principal is also here to help oversee the District Office and make sure that things are properly filed.

Corrective Action Plan

10/08/2024 Butte Valley Unified School District Single Audit Corrective Action Plan For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2022 Finding Reference Number: 2022 -003 Supporting Documents Relating to Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Program Name: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER, ESSER I, ESSER II, ESSER III, and Learning Loss) Fund Federal Financial Assistance Listing Numbers: 84.425, 84.425C and 84.425U Federal Agency: U.S Department of Education Compliance Requirements: A. Activities Allowed or Unallowed; B. Allowable Cost Principles; F. Equipment/ Real Property Management Description of Finding An effective disbursement system to ensure compliance with the requirements of the program has either not been established or is not working as designed. District staff was unable to provide sufficient and appropriate audit evidence for certain expenses to determine compliance with activities allowed, allowable cost principles and/or equipment/ real property management for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Program. Therefore, documentation to support the propriety of expenditures (e.g. date, purpose, amount, classification, approval, etc.) was unavailable or nonexistent for planned audit procedures related to internal control testing and substantive testing of compliance for the federal major program identified above. Corrective Action We already have revised procedures for the finding. We now have more than 1 person responsible for the filing of the invoices and the purchase orders, so nothing gets misplaced again. We realized how important this is and will not allow it to happen again. The Business Manager and District Secretary are overseeing accounts payable at this time and going forward. The Superintendent / Principal is also here to help oversee the District Office and make sure that things are properly filed. Name of Contact Person Jared Pierce, Superintendent/ Principal JPierce@bvalusd.org (530)397-4000 Kimberly Weed, Business Manager KWeed@bvalusd.org (530)397-4000

Categories

Questioned Costs Subrecipient Monitoring Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Equipment & Real Property Management Procurement, Suspension & Debarment

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1080656 2022-003
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
10.553 School Breakfast Program $215,635
84.010 Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies $104,309
10.665 Schools and Roads - Grants to States $43,401
93.575 Child Care and Development Block Grant $16,800
84.367 Improving Teacher Quality State Grants $5,461
84.048 Career and Technical Education -- Basic Grants to States $5,293
84.425 Education Stabilization Fund $2,400