Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District

FINDING 2022-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listing Number: 84.027 Federal Award Number: 20611-001-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Significant Deficiency Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards 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 200.403 states in part: "Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards:? (g) Be adequately documented.... " 2 CFR 200.208(b) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may adjust specific Federal award conditions as needed..." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range Condition: The School Corporation is a member of the Adams Wells Special Services Cooperative (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2021-2022, the Cooperative operated the special education programs and spent the federal money on behalf of all its member schools. As the grant agreements were between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the school corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. There was inadequate oversight performed by the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for non-public school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure non-public school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. Cause: The School Corporation's management had not developed an effective system of internal controls that would have ensured compliance with the grant agreements and the earmarking requirements of the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. Effect: The failure to establish an effective internal control system, as well as adequately document costs of federal awards, prevented the determination of the School Corporation's compliance with the earmarking requirements of the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 20611-001-PN01 grant award could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total non-public expenditures were posted as expended. The member school proportionate share expenditures were then determined by applying a budgeted percentage to the total non-public expenditures. These were the amounts reported to IDOE. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per member school was expended and properly reported to IDOE as required. The School Corporation?s Non-Public Proportionate Share for the 20611-001-PN01 grant application was $10,523. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: Yes. Identified as Finding 2020-002 in the prior audit report. Recommendation: We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish an effective system of internal controls, as well as appropriately document and identify federal award expenditures to ensure compliance with the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.

FINDING 2022-001 Information on the federal program: Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Special Education Grants to States Assistance Listing Number: 84.027 Federal Award Number: 20611-001-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Significant Deficiency Condition: The School Corporation is a member of the Adams Wells Special Services Cooperative (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2021-2022, the Cooperative operated the special education programs and spent the federal money on behalf of all its member schools. As the grant agreements were between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the school corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. There was inadequate oversight performed by the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for non-public school students with disabilities was met for each member school. The Cooperative did not have effective internal controls to ensure non-public school expenditures were appropriately identified and reported. Context: The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures for the 20611-001-PN01 grant award could not be verified for the individual member schools. Total non-public expenditures were posted as expended. The member school proportionate share expenditures were then determined by applying a budgeted percentage to the total non-public expenditures. These were the amounts reported to IDOE. As such, we were unable to identify if the minimum amount per member school was expended and properly reported to IDOE as required. The School Corporation?s Non-Public Proportionate Share for the 20611-001-PN01 grant application was $10,523. Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: Co-ops cannot combine proportionate share funds. Funds must be spent within each LEA?s geographic boundary. We will not receive a repeat finding for FY21. We will correct for FY22 and forward. Time & Effort Logs are being completed to show how many hours personnel are servicing Non-Pub school students with a service plan. If materials and Equipment are purchased for a specific student?s need, per the service plan, then those expenditures are 100% school specific. Per the DOE, Materials used by our Speech Language Pathologist for Speech Therapy for all six school corporations, those expenditures are split evenly across all school corporations with a non-pub proportionate share allocation. Responsible Party and Timeline for Completion: Adams-Wells Special Services Cooperative is the responsible party for the timeline completion. No later than January 2023, the Cooperative will have corrected proportionate share monitoring workbooks for FY22 and the ARP grants.

2020-002

FINDING 2020-002 Subject: Special Education Grants to States - Earmarking Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Program: Special Education Grants to States CFDA Number: 84.027 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 14217-001-PN01, 18611-001-PN01 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2018-001. Condition and Context An effective internal control system was not in place at the School Corporation to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the earmarking requirements of the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. The School Corporation was a member of the Adams-Wells Special Services Cooperative (Cooperative). The Cooperative operated the special education programs on behalf of the School Corporation and managed the special education grant funds. Because the grant agreements were between the Indiana Department of Education and the School Corporation, the School Corporation is ultimately responsible for compliance with the grant agreement and the earmarking requirements. The School Corporation did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the earmarking requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the required level of expenditures for nonpublic school students with disabilities was met. They also did not have internal controls in place to ensure that documentation to support the calculation of the reported expenditures was maintained and available for audit. The Non-Public Proportionate Share expenditures reported on the Proportionate Share Quarterly Monitoring Reports for the 14217-001-PN01 and 18611-001-PN01 grant awards could not be verified due to the lack of supporting documentation. Per inquiry, the reported expenditures were calculated by multiplying the applicable monthly reimbursed expenditures by the non-public school usage percentage, which was calculated based on a time study conducted by the prior Cooperative's Director. The time studies for these grants were not available for audit. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 BLUFFTON-HARRISON METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) The lack of internal controls and supporting documentation was isolated to the 14217-001-PN01 and 18611-001-PN01 grant awards. 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). . . ." 2 CFR 200.333 states in part: "Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other non-Federal entity records pertinent to a Federal award must be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report or, for Federal awards that are renewed quarterly or annually, from the date of the submission of the quarterly or annual financial report, respectively, as reported to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity in the case of a subrecipient. . . ." 2 CFR 200.207(a) states in part: "The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may impose additional specific award conditions as needed, . . ." 511 IAC 7-34-7(b) states: "The public agency, in providing special education and related services to students in nonpublic schools must expend at least an amount that is the same proportion of the public agency total subgrant under 20 U.S.C. 1411(f) as the number of nonpublic school students with disabilities, who are enrolled by their parents in nonpublic schools within its boundaries, is to the total number of students with disabilities of the same age range." Cause The School Corporation's management had not developed a system of internal controls that would have ensured compliance with the grant agreement and the earmarking requirements. Effect The failure to retain and provide supporting documentation prevented the determination of the School Corporation's compliance with the earmarking requirements. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish internal controls to ensure compliance with the Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking compliance requirement. Additionally, we recommended that management of the School Corporation establish internal controls to ensure supporting documentation will be maintained and available for audit. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2020-002 Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Dr. Brad Yates Contact Phone Number: 260-824-2620 Views of Responsible Official: BHMSD concurs with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: PHONE 26 ? .B24.262O FAX 26O.B24.6 ? 1 1 WWW.BHMSD.ORG The district and Adams-Wells Special Services (AWSS) increased internal control procedures regarding quarterly proportionate share monitoring reports. Quarterly proportionate share monitoring reports are provided to the district from AWSS along with applicable expenditure reports. District personnel review the quarterly reports and returns a signed copy to AWSS for submission. The district's management procedures in coordination with AWSSC were modified to establish controls related to the reporting compliance requirements. After implementing corrective action regarding internal controls, AWSSC and the district completes, reviews, and signs original reporting documents. School corporations within the cooperative review the documents prior to submission to the IDOE. Anticipated Completion Date: July 1, 2021

2018-001