Finding 508330 (2024-004)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
A
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2024-11-19

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The District failed to meet the standards for supporting salaries and wages for employees charged to federal grants from February to June 2024.
  • Impacted Requirements: Employees must provide time certifications or personnel activity reports to accurately reflect their work on various cost objectives, as outlined in OMB Circular A-87.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should ensure timely submission and review of payroll certifications to the District Treasurer to maintain compliance and accuracy.

Finding Text

Condition: The District did not comply with the required standards of Support of Salaries and Wages because employees whose time was charged to federal grants during fiscal year PAR, were not completed for February to June 2024. Criteria: The distribution of the salaries and wages of employees are to be supported by either time certifications or personnel activity reports or equivalent documentation which meets the standards in Subsection 8.h (5) of the OMB Circular A-87 Part 225 Appendix B. The certification for employees who work on one cost objective must be prepared at least semi-annually. Personnel activity reports (PAR) for employees who work on multiple activities or cost objectives must be prepared at least monthly and meet certain prescribed standards, such as accounting for the employee’s total compensation, and reflecting an after-the-fact distribution of the actual activity of each employee. The costs of such compensation are allowable to the extent that they satisfy the specific requirements of this and other appendices under 2 CFR Part 225, and that the total compensation for individual employees: (3) is determined and supported as provided in Subsection h. (8. Compensation for Personal Services. A. (3)). Questioned Costs: There are no questioned costs. Effect: It is more likely that the extent of effort charged to the various cost objectives may not be representative of the related time devoted to the respective cost objectives. Cause: District did not have a system in place to ensure the District complied with the required standards of Support of Salaries and Wages for an employee who needed to complete monthly or semi-annual certifications and that the time allocation on the grant is reported accurately. Recommendation: In order to prevent future occurrences of this deficiency, we recommend that management require that copies of these payroll certifications be forward to the District Treasurer on a timely basis after the time has been charged to the grant, and that they are reviewed for accuracy. Perspective: This is a systemic issue in that controls over the requirement have not been developed to ensure no issues arise. Repeat: This is not repeat finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Condition: The District did not comply with the required standards of Support of Salaries and Wages, because employees who time was charged to federal grants during fiscal year PAR, were completed for May and June before the time had occurred. Criteria: The distribution of the salaries and wages of employees are to be supported by either time certification or personnel activity reports or equivalent documentation which meets the standards in Subsection 8.h (5) of the OMB Circular A-87 Part 225 Appendix B. The certification for employees who work on one cost objective must be prepared at least semi-annually. Personnel activity reports (PAR) for employees who work on multiple activities or cost objectives must be prepared at least monthly and meet certain prescribed standards, such as accounting for the employee’s total compensation, and reflecting an after-the-fact distribution of the actual activity of each employee. The costs of such compensation are allowable to the extent that they satisfy that specific requirement of this and other appendices under 2 CFR Part 225, and that the total compensation for the individual employees: (3) is determined and supported as provided in Subsection h. (8. Compensation for Personal Services. A. (3)). Questioned Costs: There are no questioned costs. Effect: It is more likely that the extent of effort charged to the various cost objectives may not be representative of the related time devoted to the respective cost objectives. Cause: District did not have a system in place to ensure the District complied with the required standards of Support of Salaries and Wages for an employee who needed to complete monthly or semi-annual certifications and that the time allocation on the grant is reported accurately. Corrective Action: A comprehensive tracking plan has been implemented to ensure the costs objectives associated with each employee for each period is tracked and PAR is returned for the corresponding period. Corrective Action Implemented by: The Corrective Action will be implemented by Robert Farrier, School Business Administrator in conjunction with Treasurer Kelly Kilmer. Corrective Action Implementation Date: This corrective action plan has already been implemented on 9/15/24.

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles HUD Housing Programs

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 508331 2024-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 508332 2024-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 508333 2024-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1084772 2024-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1084773 2024-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1084774 2024-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1084775 2024-004
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
10.555 National School Lunch Program $319,563
10.553 School Breakfast Program $88,144
84.367 Improving Teacher Quality State Grants $21,375
84.010 Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies $20,210
84.425 Education Stabilization Fund $9,939
84.365 English Language Acquisition State Grants $9,684
84.173 Special Education_preschool Grants $5,856
84.424 Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program $1,260
84.027 Special Education_grants to States $336