Heartwood AZ dba Heartwood Montessori

2025-001 Unallowable Costs CFDA No: 93.434 Program Name: Preschool Development Grants Award Number: 25FPDGCN-510841-01A Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Pass-Through Grantor: Arizona Department of Education Compliance Requirement: A. Activities Allowed or Unallowed, B. Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Questioned Costs: $1,034.75 Summary of Finding: Material weakness in internal controls over compliance and compliance Repeat Finding? No

Condition During testing of expenses charged to the Preschool Development Grants program (PDG), Assistance Listing Number 93.434, we identified two of 33 expenses tested totaling $1,467.53 that were determined to be unallowable under the Federal award. A nonstatistical sample of 33 expenditures was selected for testing from the PDG program. The total sample amount tested was $164,654. Criteria Uniform Guidance 2 CFR §200.403 – Factors Affecting Allowability of Costs establishes that costs charged to a Federal award must meet the following criteria to be allowable:  Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and be allocable to the award.  Be adequately documented and consistent with the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Additionally, non-Federal entities must maintain financial management systems that ensure Federal award expenditures comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. (2 CFR §200.302 – Financial Management) The PDG was authorized under Section 9212 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Public Law 114-95, and funds must be used only for allowable program activities consistent with the grant’s objectives and federal cost principles. Cause Controls over the review and approval of expenditures charged to the Federal program were not sufficient to ensure that all costs incurred complied with Federal cost principles and program requirements prior to being charged to the grant. Effect As a result of the control deficiency, the District charged costs to the PDG program that did not meet Federal allowability requirements. This resulted in questioned costs totaling $1,467.53 and increases the risk that additional unallowable expenditures could be charged to the program without proper review.

Recommendation We recommend that the District strengthen controls over the review and approval of expenditures charged to Federal programs by:  Implementing procedures to ensure expenditures charged to the PDG B-5 program are reviewed for allowability prior to being charged to the grant.  Providing training to personnel responsible for grant administration regarding Federal cost principles and allowable expenditures.  Reviewing current-year expenditures charged to the program to determine whether additional unallowable costs were incurred

2025-002 Procurement Supporting Documentation CFDA No: 93.434 Program Name: Preschool Development Grants Award Number: 25FPDGCN-510841-01A Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Pass-Through Grantor: Arizona Department of Education Compliance Requirement: L. Procurement, Suspension and Debarment Questioned Costs: $29,281 Summary of Finding: Material weakness in internal controls over compliance which resulted in a qualified opinion on federal program compliance. Repeat Finding? No Condition Heartwood could not provide documentation for the selection of two vendors within the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, which totaled $29,281. The population of vendors who met applicable thresholds was tested and totaled four vendors. Criteria Non-federal entities other than states, including those operating federal programs as subrecipients of states, must follow the procurement standards set out at 2 CFR 200.318 through 200.327. Specifically, 2 CFR 200.318(i) states “The recipient or subrecipient must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of each procurement transaction. These records must include the rationale for the procurement method, contract type selection, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price.” Cause Heartwood did not retain price or rate quotations from an adequate number of qualified sources or document justification for the use of sole source vendors. 2 CFR 200.320(a)(2)(i) states: “Unless specified by the Federal agency, the recipient or subrecipient may exercise judgment in determining what number is adequate.” Effect The inability of Heartwood to retain procurement documentation impairs the ability to demonstrate compliance with federal requirements, increases the risk of unallowable or unreasonable costs, and may result in repayment/disallowance of the related expenditures. Recommendation Primarily, Heartwood should enforce their written procurement and documentation procedures which are prepared as part of grant award acceptance. Then, Heartwood should ensure every purchase is supported, and retained in a central file. At a minimum, the school should: Establish checklist for every purchase (paper or electronic), retained centrally, that includes:  Requisition/need justification and funding source, in this instance Preschool Development Grant (PDG)  Evidence of price reasonableness:  quotes from an adequate number of qualified sources (or documented attempts)  Basis for vendor selection  Approvals (who approved, when)  Contract/purchase order, invoice, and proof of receipt/performance  Required contract provisions (when applicable)  In the case of sole source procurements, justification dcumentation for the use of the vendor.  Suspension/debarment verification (SAM check) when required by the school’s policy/pass-through requirements Centralize record retention  Store all procurement documentation in a single shared location (e.g., secured drive) by grant year and vendor, with a naming convention.  Assign a specific role (grant manager/business office) responsible for completeness before payment.