Finding Text
2023-003 Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) Preparation
Federal Program Information:
Funding agency: All
Title: All
CFDA number: All
Award year and number: 2021-2022 and 2022-2023
Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Section 200.510(b)), the auditee should identify all federal awards received and prepare a SEFA for the period under audit. The information contained in the SEFA shall be derived from, and relate directly to, the underlying accounting and other records used to prepare the financial statements. Expenditures should include only those which are both allowable and within the grant award. Grant reimbursement requests should be done monthly.
Condition: The initial information provided for the audit was unreconciled and contained overspending in several grant funds that could not be requested due to grant limitations. Many funds included in the SEFA had to be adjusted, some by material amounts to bring expenditures down to requestable levels, and during the process, it was noted that at least one fund carried an accounts receivable balance which had not been requested. Layered in that balance was at least three years’ worth of unrequested funds causing District staff to have to work with the state to shift expenditures into the appropriate grant years to recover all amounts owed and spent by the District.
Context: As part of our review of the SEFA, and during our testing over accounts receivable and revenues, Wipfli found that grant requests were often done once or twice a year rather than monthly, and amounts requested did not line up with accounts receivable as shown in the financial statements. Although there was no evidence of unallowable expenditures being charged to the funds, the fact that funds were over-expended and in excess of budget suggests that the budget is not driving expenditures and regular reconciliation and review is not happening.
Questioned Costs: None
Effect: The District staff and auditors had to spend additional time reviewing historical information and adjusting the classification of expenditures, often to the general fund, to keep grant funds in line with available grant amounts. This resulted in significant adjustments to the general fund for expenditures that were not likely budgeted in the current year.
Cause: The District was not reconciling federal spending with available funding, requests for reimbursement were not timely, and the internal controls over review and spending do not appear to be functioning adequately. See also finding 2023-002.
Repeat: No
Auditor's Recommendation: Wipfli recommends continued training and timely requests for reimbursement for all applicable federal funds. In addition, regular review of budget and actual, district needs, and changes since the budget was set are integral to having an awareness of the funds and potential issues before they arise. By resetting the procedures of the District and completing these tasks, the reporting of the District will improve, and forward planning and preparation will improve.
View of Responsible Official: The District will strive for monthly requests for reimbursement for all applicable federal funds, thus creating awareness of the funds and potential issues before they arise.