Finding 538099 (2024-004)

FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listings Number: 84.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): 22611-048-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context The School Corporation is a member of the Ripley-Ohio-Dearborn Special Education Cooperative (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2022-2023, the Cooperative operated the special education programs and spent the federal money for earmarked expenditures on behalf of four of the six member schools. As the grant agreements were between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and the member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. However, there was inadequate oversight performed by the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 SOUTH DEARBORN COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure nonpublic school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 22611-048-PN01 grant award could not be verified for the individual member schools. The nonpublic school share funds for the participating member schools were allocated based on the yearly budget for certified staff instead of time charged to the nonpublic schools. These allocations were the amounts reported to the IDOE. As such, we were unable to identify which expenditures were for each school in order to verify the minimum amount per the grant award was expended and properly reported to the IDOE as required. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was isolated to the 22611-048-PN01 grant award in fiscal year 2022-2023. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: . . . (g) Be adequately documented. . . ." 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed by management of the School Corporation to ensure time worked by certified staff for nonpublic schools was properly identified. Internal controls in place did not identify that an improper method was used to identify expenditures for nonpublic students with disabilities. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 20 SOUTH DEARBORN COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the School Corporation was unable to ensure that the proportionate share required to be expended for nonpublic students was met. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the School Corporation establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure nonpublic proportionate share funds are appropriately allocated to the member school based on expenses charged directly on behalf of the member school. Supporting documentation for these expenses should be retained for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.