REPORT DIGEST

 

REGIONAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION # 27

 

HENDERSON, MERCER AND WARREN COUNTIES

 

FINANCIAL AND COMPLIANCE AUDIT

(In Accordance with the Single Audit Act and
OMB Circular A-133)

For the Year Ended:

June 30, 2003

 

Summary of Findings:

 

Total this audit                          7

Total last audit                          1

Repeated from last audit           1

 

Release Date:

 

 

State of Illinois

Office of the Auditor General

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND

AUDITOR GENERAL

 

To obtain a copy of the Report contact:

Office of the Auditor General

Iles Park Plaza

740 E. Ash Street

Springfield, IL 62703

(217) 782-6046 or TTY (888) 261-2887

 

This Report Digest is also available on

the worldwide web at

http://www.state.il.us/auditor

 

 

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

·        The Regional Office of Education # 27 does not have proper segregation of duties. Each of the ROE’s three bookkeepers has the primary responsibility for most of the accounting and financial functions for the programs they individually handle.

 

·        The Regional Office of Education #27 did not have adequate controls over cash receipts.

 

·        The Regional Office of Education #27 did not have adequate controls over fixed assets.

 

·        The Regional Office of Education #27 did not have employment contracts or formal documentation of rates of pay for all salaried employees tested.

 

·        The Regional Office of Education #27 allocated and charged salaries of non-hourly personnel assigned to multiple programs based on budgets.  No time allocation sheets or time and effort reports are prepared to account for actual time charges by program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        {Expenditures and Activity Measures are summarized on the reverse page.}

 


                                                                                   

                                              REGIONAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION # 27

            HENDERSON, MERCER AND WARREN COUNTIES

 

                                                FINANCIAL AND COMPLIANCE AUDIT

In Accordance with the Single Audit Act and OMB Circular A-133

                                                       For The Year Ended June 30, 2003

 

 

 

 

FY 2003

FY 2002

TOTAL REVENUES

$1,101,636

$952,131

Local sources

$262,232

$281,023

% of Total Revenues

23.80%

29.52%

State Sources

$531,742

$458,662

% of Total Revenues

48.27%

48.17%

Federal Sources

$307,662

$212,446

% of Total Revenues

27.93%

22.31%

 

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

$1,077,855

$869,541

Salaries and Benefits

$765,237

$545,536

% of Total Expenditures

71.00%

62.74%

Purchased Services

$272,845

$258,497

% of Total Expenditures

25.31%

29.73%

All Other Expenditures

$39,773

$65,508

% of Total Expenditures

3.69%

7.53%

 

 

 

COST OF PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

 

$48,168

 

$48,168

 

* Percentages may not add due to rounding.

 

 

REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENT 

During Audit Period: Honorable R. Bruce Hall

Currently: Honorable R. Bruce Hall


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Regional Office of Education # 27 does not have proper segregation of duties in its accounting function.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Regional Office of Education #27 did not have adequate controls over cash receipts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Regional Office of Education #27 did not have adequate controls over fixed assets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Regional Office of Education #27 did not have employment contracts or formal documentation of rates of pay for all salaried employees tested.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Regional Office of Education #27 allocated and charged salaries of non-hourly personnel assigned to multiple programs based on budgets rather than actual time charged to a program.

 

 

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 

 

INADEQUATE SEGREGATION OF DUTIES

 

        The Regional Office of Education #27 does not have proper segregation of duties.  Each of the ROE’s three bookkeepers has the primary responsibility for most of the accounting and financial functions for the programs they individually handle.  The bookkeepers perform the disbursement functions of invoice processing, check preparation, custodianship of blank checks, recording, and bank reconciliation for those programs.  The bookkeepers also perform the functions of receiving, depositing, and recording of cash receipts for those programs.  The ROE Operations bookkeeper has custody of the signature stamp.

 

        The Regional Superintendent of Schools is responsible for establishing and maintaining an internal control system to prevent errors and irregularities.  Inadequate segregation of duties limits the effectiveness and efficiency of the internal control system and increases the risk that errors or irregularities may occur and not be detected promptly.  (Finding 03-1, pages 12 - 14) This finding is repeated from our 2002 audit.

 

        The Regional Office of Education #27 accepted the recommendation to strengthen internal controls.   The bookkeeper will record the checks on a register with the date received.  The Regional Superintendent will periodically check that deposits are made on a weekly basis, or if needed, twice weekly.  The bookkeeper will sign the bank reconciliations, which will in turn be reviewed and signed by the Regional Superintendent.  The Regional Superintendent’s signature stamp will be in his possession until needed during his absences. (For previous Regional Office response, see Digest Footnote #1.) 

 

 

 

INADEQUATE CONTROLS OVER CASH RECEIPTS

 

       The Regional Office of Education #27 does not maintain a logbook of checks received nor issue official receipts for every transaction.  The receipts are recorded only when they are deposited.  Checks received are not restrictively endorsed.  Twenty-seven out of 40 (68%) receipts tested were deposited from 2 to 177 days after the date of the check.

 

       Sound internal controls require that all checks received should be deposited promptly and recorded immediately (Finding 03-2, pages 15 – 16).

 

       The Regional Office of Education #27 accepted the recommendation stating that checks received will be date stamped when possible and stamped “for deposit only” by the secretary.  The bookkeeper will record the checks in a register listing the date received.  Checks will be placed in a fire safe until deposit.  The Regional Superintendent will periodically check to see if the checks have been deposited weekly or twice weekly if needed. 

 

 

INADEQUATE CONTROLS OVER PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

 

       The Regional Office of Education #27 did not have adequate controls over fixed assets.  For example, no formal policies and procedures had been established to monitor and control equipment and other fixed assets.  Fixed assets were not tagged.  A fixed asset listing was compiled only at the time of the audit.  The listings were based on actual physical inventory performed at the time of compilation and were not reconciled with equipment acquisition documents and with balances in the General Fixed Asset Account Group (GFAAG). 

 

       The Regional Office of Education (ROE) Accounting Manual requires each ROE to maintain detailed fixed asset records for both accounting purposes as well as insurance purposes, for fixed assets costing $500 or more.  In addition, sound internal controls require that policies and procedures on fixed assets cover the acquisition and tagging, recording and reporting, depreciation (if applicable), transfers and dispositions, and physical inventory, and that they be formally documented and consistently applied  (Finding 03-3, pages 17 - 19).

 

       The Regional Office of Education #27 accepted the recommendation stating that the current fixed asset listing has been updated to include the acquisition dates, funding source, vendor and location of the asset.  It will also show when an item is disposed of and the purchase of new items.  A tagging system and log is being developed.  A Capital Outlay Fixed Asset Policy has been created and signed by the Regional Superintendent.

 

 

INADEQUATE DOCUMENTATION OF SALARY RATES

 

       The Regional Office of Education #27 did not have employment contracts or formal documentation of rates of pay for all salaried employees tested. 

 

       Sound internal controls require that payroll rates and amounts be properly authorized and formally documented.  Absence of an employee contract and salary rate authorization may result in disputes over salary calculations and inaccurate payroll computations  (Finding 03-6, pages 24  - 25). 

 

       The Regional Office of Education #27 agreed with the recommendation stating that contracts are being prepared for all employees.  Job descriptions have been updated and the Regional Superintendent will prepare statements of payroll changes, such as increases in pay, benefit changes or changes in job descriptions.

 

 

IMPROPER PAYROLL COST ALLOCATION

 

       The Regional Office of Education #27 allocated and charged salaries of non-hourly personnel assigned to multiple programs based on budgets.  No time allocation sheets or time and effort reports are prepared to account for actual time charges by federal program.

 

       The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments states that typical direct costs chargeable to federal awards are compensation of employees for the time devoted and identified specifically to the performance of those awards  (Finding 03-7, pages 26 – 28).

 

       The Regional Office of Education #27 agreed with the recommendation stating that time sheets are submitted and signed by the Grant Coordinators, Administrative Personnel or the Regional Superintendent.  The Education Consultant keeps a log of her activities so as to document the allocation of grant funds for her salary and mileage.

 

 

OTHER FINDINGS

 

      The remaining findings are reportedly being given attention by Regional Office of Education #27.  We will review progress toward the implementation of our recommendations during the next audit.

 

 

AUDITORS’ OPINION

 

      Our auditors state the Regional Office of Education # 27’s financial statements as of June 30, 2003 are fairly presented in all material respects.

 

 

_____________________________________

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

 

WGH:KJM:ro

 

SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS

 

        Our special assistant auditors were E.C. Ortiz & Company, LLP.

 

 

 

DIGEST FOOTNOTES

 

#1: INADEQUATE SEGREGATION OF DUTIES - Previous Regional Office Response

 

In its prior response in 2002, the Regional Office accepted the finding stating that the Regional Superintendent will try to maintain additional control procedures to counteract this condition but an adequate segregation of duties problem will remain, due to the limited number of staff.

 

Complete Regional Office responses to prior findings are available upon request from the Auditor General’s Office.