FAC Explorer

Finding 614004 (2022-002)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-03-29
Audit: 32371
Organization: City of Boston (MA)
Auditor: Kpmg LLP

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Boston Public Schools filed 3 out of 4 required financial reports over a year late, indicating poor internal controls.
  • Impacted Requirements: Reports must be submitted within 60 days post-grant, as per DESE guidelines and 2 CFR 200.303.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a tracking system and create a grant close procedure to ensure timely report submissions.

Finding Text

Finding number: 2022 002 Federal agency: U.S. Department of Education Pass through agency: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Program: Title I, Grants to Local Education Agencies ALN #: 84.010 Award number: Various Award year: Various Finding: Internal Control over Reporting Prior Year Finding: No Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency Criteria The City of Boston Public Schools (BPS) receives funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). DESE sets policy for the grants and required reports. DESE issues guidance in Grants for Schools: Getting Them and Using them, A Procedural Manual. According to the DESE?s procedure manual, ?At the conclusion of grant activities, recipients must submit a final financial report to the Department, accounting for the expenditure of funds received. Grants Management has developed an online process and standard form (FR1) for collecting this information. The FR1 form should be submitted to Grants Management within sixty (60) days of the end date of the grant. Grant recipients should file their reports after carefully reconciling all figures with their city auditor, town accountant, or agency business manager.? Additionally, 2 CFR 200.303 indicates that non Federal entities receiving Federal awards must 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. Condition During our review of compliance with subrecipient reporting requirements for the Title I program, we noted that, for our sample of 4 of the population of 13 FR1 reports required to be filed in fiscal year 2022, 3 reports were filed over a year after the respective grant period ended. Cause This appears to be due to inadequate policies and procedures surrounding the filing of financial reports under the program. Effect BPS does not have effective internal controls over the Federal award in regard to the primary recipient?s Title I program reporting requirements. Whether Sampling was Statistically Valid The sample was not intended to be, and was not, a statistically valid sample. Questioned Costs: None Recommendation We recommend that BPS implement control procedures to ensure that the FR1 form be submitted to DESE Grants Management within sixty (60) days of the end date of the grant in accordance with the reporting requirements of the primary Federal recipient of the Title I program. View of Responsible Officials from the Auditee The Finance Department at Boston Public Schools will implement an internal fiscal tracker to monitor and update on a quarterly basis to reflect reporting timelines and ensure timely spending of all grant funds. In addition, BPS will create a grant close procedure document that outlines the roles, responsibilities, and tasks associated with completing the FR1.

Categories

Subrecipient Monitoring Reporting Significant Deficiency Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 37561 2022-001
    Material Weakness
  • 37562 2022-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37563 2022-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 37564 2022-004
    Material Weakness
  • 37565 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37566 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37567 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37568 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37569 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37570 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37571 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37572 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37573 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37574 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 37575 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614003 2022-001
    Material Weakness
  • 614005 2022-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 614006 2022-004
    Material Weakness
  • 614007 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614008 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614009 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614010 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614011 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614012 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614013 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614014 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614015 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614016 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency
  • 614017 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
14.239 Home Investment Partnerships Program $141.16M
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $90.35M
84.425 Education Stabilization Fund $52.13M
21.019 Coronavirus Relief Fund $37.76M
84.010 Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies $32.74M
10.555 National School Lunch Program $29.43M
14.267 Continuum of Care Program $29.00M
21.023 Emergency Rental Assistance Program $23.84M
84.027 Special Education_grants to States $19.37M
14.231 Emergency Solutions Grant Program $15.08M
97.067 Homeland Security Grant Program $10.22M
97.036 Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (presidentially Declared Disasters) $4.43M
14.218 Community Development Block Grants/entitlement Grants $3.44M
84.367 Improving Teacher Quality State Grants $3.14M
14.889 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants $2.50M
32.009 Emergency Connectivity Fund Program $2.42M
84.365 English Language Acquisition State Grants $2.15M
97.083 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (safer) $2.14M
66.443 Reducing Lead in Drinking Water (sdwa 1459b) $1.91M
84.424 Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program $1.53M
93.053 Nutrition Services Incentive Program $1.46M
84.048 Career and Technical Education -- Basic Grants to States $1.29M
10.559 Summer Food Service Program for Children $1.15M
14.905 Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program $875,418
84.287 Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers $798,800
84.173 Special Education_preschool Grants $705,763
10.582 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program $589,666
84.002 Adult Education - Basic Grants to States $493,394
93.079 Cooperative Agreements to Promote Adolescent Health Through School-Based Hiv/std Prevention and School-Based Surveillance $461,145
93.243 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services_projects of Regional and National Significance $434,221
16.034 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program $387,065
20.616 National Priority Safety Programs $330,000
16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program $327,657
93.045 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part C_nutrition Services $327,115
97.111 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (rcpgp) $230,558
16.741 Dna Backlog Reduction Program $228,189
14.241 Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids $198,525
94.016 Senior Companion Program $180,387
14.401 Fair Housing Assistance Program_state and Local $179,360
47.076 Education and Human Resources $178,788
14.248 Community Development Block Grants_section 108 Loan Guarantees $151,694
93.044 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part B_grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers $139,975
97.042 Emergency Management Performance Grants $136,689
94.002 Retired and Senior Volunteer Program $134,065
84.196 Education for Homeless Children and Youth $133,025
93.052 National Family Caregiver Support, Title Iii, Part E $128,466
97.106 Securing the Cities Program $117,605
16.588 Violence Against Women Formula Grants $116,980
16.820 Postconviction Testing of Dna Evidence to Exonerate the Innocent $115,958
16.838 Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-Based Program $99,654
10.649 Pandemic Ebt Administrative Costs $82,855
16.560 National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants $77,511
97.047 Pre-Disaster Mitigation $75,000
45.149 Promotion of the Humanities_division of Preservation and Access $64,064
12.900 Language Grant Program $62,353
45.301 Museums for America $58,423
16.817 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program $54,978
97.044 Assistance to Firefighters Grant $31,952
97.039 Hazard Mitigation Grant $29,550
14.261 Homeless Management Information Systems Technical Assistance $25,333
45.024 Promotion of the Arts_grants to Organizations and Individuals $22,500
16.742 Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program $22,337
10.331 Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grants Program $18,005
16.745 Criminal and Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program $17,540
16.015 Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Assistance Program $12,177
93.043 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part D_disease Prevention and Health Promotion Services $9,776
16.833 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative $9,758
14.U00 Brownsfields Economic Development Initiative $7,379
20.600 State and Community Highway Safety $5,364
93.763 Alzheimer?s Disease Initiative: Specialized Supportive Services Project (adi-Sss) Thru Prevention and Public Health Funds (pphf) $2,777
84.411 Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund $1,836
20.205 Highway Planning and Construction $1,634
93.042 Special Programs for the Aging_title Vii, Chapter 2_long Term Care Ombudsman Services for Older Individuals $1,529