Finding 523306 (2024-001)

U.S. Department of Education – Passed-through the NYS Education Department COVID-19 American Rescue Plan - Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund; Assistance Listing Number 84.425U; Grant Period – Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2024 Non-Compliance Compliance Requirement: Equipment and Real Property Management Criteria: According to 2 CFR section 200.313(d)(1), detailed property records must be maintained for equipment acquired under a federal grant award. Records should include a description of the property, a serial number or identification number, the source of funding (including the federal award identification number), who holds title, the acquisition date, cost of the property, percentage of federal participation in the project costs for the federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, use and condition of the property, and ultimate disposition data. Condition: During our audit, we noted the District’s fixed asset records were incomplete for some of the assets acquired with federal grant funding during the fiscal year. Cause: The District did not appropriately review and reconcile its expenditure records in order to identify equipment additions purchased with federal funds for the purposes of updating their fixed asset records. Effect: If the District’s fixed asset records are incomplete, they may not be properly safeguarded, and the District may not comply with the aforementioned federal regulations. Questioned Costs: None. Recommendation: We recommend that the District update their fixed asset records to include required information for assets purchased with federal awards and that a system of communication and a review process be implemented to ensure completeness and timing of fixed asset addition records. It is noted that the fixed asset records have subsequently been corrected to include assets acquired with federal grant funding. District’s Response: The District’s response is included in their corrective plan.