Finding Text
FINDING 2022-005 Subject: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies - Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies Assistance Listings Number: 84.010 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): S010A200014 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context An effective internal control system was not designed, nor implemented at the School Corporation to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. School Corporations with an allocation over $500,000, are required to set aside at least 1 percent of their total allocation for parental involvement. The set aside must be expended within the fiscal year or, if not expended, must be carried over and added into the LEA's parental involvement budget for the next fiscal year. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure the required set aside was spent within the fiscal year or were carried over to the next fiscal year. The School Corporation spent $300 of the $5,635 that was required to be spent on parental involvement. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were isolated to the S010A200014 grant award. 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). . . ." 20 USC 6318(a)(3) states in part: "(A) In general. Each local educational agency shall reserve at least 1 percent of its allocation under subpart 2 to assist schools to carry out the activities described in this section, except that this subparagraph shall not apply if 1 percent of such agency's allocation under subpart 2 for the fiscal year for which the determination is made is $5,000 or less. Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to limit local educational agencies from reserving more than 1 percent of its allocation under subpart 2 to assist schools to carry out activities described in this section. . . . (D) Use of Funds. Funds reserved under subparagraph (A) by a local educational agency shall be used to carry out activities and strategies consistent with the local educational agency's parent and family engagement policy, including not less than 1 of the following: (i) Supporting schools and nonprofit organizations in providing professional development for local educational agency and school personnel regarding parent and family engagement strategies, which may be provided jointly to teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, paraprofessionals, early childhood educators, and parents and family members. (ii) Supporting programs that reach parents and family members at home, in the community, and at school. (iii) Disseminating information on best practices focused on parent and family engagement, especially best practices for increasing the engagement of economically disadvantaged parents and family members. (iv) Collaborating, or providing subgrants to schools to enable such schools to collaborate, with community-based or other organizations or employers with a record of success in improving and increasing parent and family engagement. (v) Engaging in any other activities and strategies that the local educational agency determines are appropriate and consistent with such agency's parent and family engagement policy." Cause Management had not designed, nor implemented a system of internal controls that would have ensured compliance with the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. Effect The failure to establish an effective system of internal controls enabled noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish a system of internal controls to ensure compliance and comply with the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.