Finding Text
FINDING 2022-006 Subject: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund - Equipment and Real Property Management Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund Assistance Listing Number: 84.425D, 84.425U Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): S425D200013, S425U200013 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Equipment and Real Property Management Audit Findings: Material Weakness Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: ?The non-Federal entity 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. 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 200.313(d) states in part: "(1) Property records must be maintained that include a description of the property, a serial number or other identification number, the source of funding for the property (including the federal award identification number), who holds title, the acquisition date, cost of the property, percentage of federal participation in the project costs for the federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, use and condition of the property, and any ultimate disposition data including the date of disposal and sales price of the property. (2) A physical inventory of the property must be taken and the results reconciled with the property records at lease once every two years. (3) A control system must be developed to ensure adequate safeguards to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the property. Any loss, damage, or theft must be investigated. . . . ? Condition: An effective internal control system was not in place at the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and Equipment and Real Property Management compliance requirement. Cause: Management had not developed a system of internal controls that would have ensured compliance with the Equipment and Real Property Management compliance requirement. Effect: The failure to establish an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Equipment and Real Property Management compliance requirement could have resulted in the loss of federal funds to the School Corporation. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: An effective internal control system was not in place at the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and Equipment and Real Property Management. The School paid for chiller repairs and purchased a new air conditioning unit using education stabilization funds. These capital improvements were not added to a detailed listing of capital assets that would include a description of the property, a serial number or other identification number, the source of funding for the property (including the federal award identification number), who holds title, the acquisition date, cost of the property, percentage of federal participation in the project costs for the federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, and the use and condition of the property. In addition, a physical inventory had not been taken in the past two years. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Identification as a repeat finding: No. Recommendation: We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish internal controls to ensure compliance and comply with the grant agreement and the Equipment and Real Property Management compliance requirement. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.