Finding Text
Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies - Federal Assistance Listing Number 84.010 2022-004: Affirmation of Consultation Forms to Private Schools Compliance Requirement: Special Tests and Provisions Type of Finding: Compliance and Internal Control Over Compliance ? Other Matter Criteria or Specific Requirement: Grantees must provide equitable services to eligible private school children, their teachers, and their families. Grantees must conduct timely and documented consultation with private school officials to determine the kind of educational services to provide to eligible private school children. Grantees must also ensure the planned services were provided, and ensure the required amount was used for private school children. Condition: The City was required to ensure a portion of this grant was available for the equitable participation of students, families, and educators in non-profit, non-public (private) schools in existence. Public school officials were required to initiate contact and make good faith efforts to have timely and meaningful consultation with private school officials regarding the participation of private school students, families, and educators in these programs and services. The City was required to document these consultations via signed Affirmation of Consultation forms. The City was unable to provide this form for one of the private schools in which federal funds were allocated. Questioned Costs: None Reported. Context: The City has not complied with grant requirements to complete the appropriate forms regarding private school consultations. Effect: The City has not complied with the grant requirements. Cause: Lack of controls over maintaining adequate support for the consultations with private school officials for Title I allocations to all private schools to determine the kind of educational services to provide to eligible private school children. Recommendation: Management should implement procedures to ensure compliance with all grant requirements including the completion and retention of all required forms. These should be filed in an organized manner to allow for timely review upon request. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and will implement internal controls procedures to ensure that all Affirmation of Consultation forms are completed, retained, and adequately maintained in an organized manner to ensure that grant requirements can be supported upon request. Management plans to implement these procedures in 2023.