REPORT DIGEST

 

REGIONAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION #50

 

ST. CLAIR COUNTY

 

FINANCIAL AUDIT

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

 

For the Year Ended:

June 30, 2004

 

Summary of Findings:

 

Total this audit                          2

Total last audit                          4

Repeated from last audit           0

 

Release Date:

August 30, 2005 

 

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 #50 did not comply with certain statutory requirements and administrative rules.

 

·        The Regional Office of Education #50 did not maintain student files for the McKinney Education for Homeless Children program in accordance with federal regulations or their own record retention policies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        {Expenditures and Revenues are summarized on the reverse page.}

 


 

 

                                                                                   

REGIONAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION #50

ST. CLAIR COUNTY

 

FINANCIAL AUDIT

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

For The Year Ended June 30, 2004

 

 

FY 2004

FY 2003

TOTAL REVENUES

$4,942,438

$4,827,785

Local Sources

$539,992

$600,008

% of Total Revenues

10.93%

12.43%

State Sources

$1,890,612

$2,683,055

% of Total Revenues

38.25%

55.58%

Federal Sources

$2,511,834

$1,544,722

% of Total Revenues

50.82%

32.00%

 

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

$4,840,965

$4,702,885

Salaries and Benefits

$3,350,329

$3,413,008

% of Total Expenditures

69.21%

72.57%

Purchased Services

$1,068,464

$860,100

% of Total Expenditures

22.07%

18.29%

All Other Expenditures

$422,172

$429,777

% of Total Expenditures

8.72%

9.14%

 

 

 

TOTAL NET ASSETS1

$1,687,675

$1,586,202

 

 

 

INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL ASSETS1

 

$152,412

 

$171,972

 

1         In fiscal year 2004, Regional Offices of Education implemented Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 34 which established a new financial reporting model for state and local governments.  Government-wide financial statements are prepared using full accrual accounting that reports Total Net Assets.    The fiscal year 2003 ending general fixed assets have been restated to reflect the changes required as part of the implementation of GASB Statement No. 34.

              Percentages may not add due to rounding.

 

REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENT 

During Audit Period:  Honorable Rosella Wamser

Currently:  Honorable Rosella Wamser

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Regional Office of Education #50 did not comply with certain statutory requirements and administrative rules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Regional Office of Education #50 did not maintain student files for the McKinney Education for Homeless Children program in accordance with federal regulations or their own record retention policies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 

 

NONCOMPLIANCE WITH STATUTORY MANDATES

 

 The Regional Office of Education #50 did not comply with certain statutory administrative requirements and the Illinois Administrative Code.  The Illinois Administrative Code (23 Ill. Adm. Code 110.115) states that fees for conferences, workshops, materials and other costs charged for discretionary activities not required by law or rule are to be determined on a cost-recovery basis.  Excess funds resulting from registrations or request for materials/ services beyond the anticipated cost-recovery basis shall be deposited in an Enterprise Fund to be used solely to reduce the cost of similar items or to cover costs incurred due to less-than-anticipated registrations or requests for materials/services.  Fees charged by the Regional Office for technology-related services were not determined on a cost recovery basis.  Also, excess fees were not deposited into an Enterprise Fund.

 

 The Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/3-6) requires the Regional Superintendent to report, in writing, to the county board on or before January 1 of each year, stating:  (1) the balance on hand at the time of the last report, and all receipts since that date, with the sources from which they were derived; (2) the amount distributed to each of the school treasurers in his or her county; and (3) any balance on hand.  According to Regional Office management, the annual report had been sent to the County Clerk before January 1; however, the County Clerk did not receive it and an additional copy was hand delivered on August 20, 2004. 

 

 The School Code (105 ILCS 5/3-12) also requires that on or before January 1 of each year, the Regional Superintendent shall publish in a newspaper of general circulation published in the region or post in each school building under his/her jurisdiction, certain information regarding the Office’s Institute Fund.  According to Regional Office management, the newspaper lost the original fax transmission of this information forcing the Regional Office to send a second fax, which delayed the publication of the information, 16 days after the deadline.  (Finding 04-1, pages 12-14)

 

         The Regional Office of Education #50 accepted the recommendation stating it will take actions necessary to address the items noted in the finding. 

 

 

INADEQUATE RECORDS RETENTION

 

         The Regional Office of Education #50 did not maintain student files for the McKinney Education for Homeless Children program in accordance with federal regulations or their own record retention policies.  All student files were shredded by the caseworker once the school year had ended and all reporting requirements had been met.  Proper disposition procedures were also not followed as no documentation of the disposal was maintained.  The Regional Office expended $56,000 in McKinney program funds in fiscal year 2004.

 

         The U.S. Department of Education’s “Education Department General Administrative Regulations” (34 CFR Part 80.42) requires records to be retained for three years after completing activities pertaining to grant funds or until all outstanding claims have been resolved.  In addition, the Regional Office of Education #50’s record retention policy for grant records requires they be maintained for three years following completion of the terms of the grant.  The failure to retain student records in accordance with regulations resulted in a qualified opinion on compliance for this major federal program. (Finding 04-2, pages 15-16)

 

         The Regional Office of Education #50 accepted the recommendation and stated it will take steps to ensure that all grant program records are maintained in accordance with federal and State regulations, as well as, Regional Office of Education record retention policies.

 

 

 

AUDITORS’ OPINION

 

         Our auditors state the Regional Office of Education # 50’s financial statements as of June 30, 2004 are fairly presented in all material respects.

 

 

 

 

___________________________________

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

 

WGH:JRB

 

 

SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS

 

        Our special assistant auditors were Martin & Shadid CPAs, P.C.