SECTION 1 – FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS PROTOCOL
Provider: School District of Palm Beach Click here to enter
text.Monitor: Click here to enter text.
Position Interviewed: Christie Price
Date: 2-14-17
Financial Management System
Statutory Authority: UGG - Post Federal Award Requirements Standards for Financial and Program Management. § 200.300 Statutory and
National Policy Requirements
Directions: Response or verification should be provided in the space following the inquiry; spaces expand to accommodate explanation.
Financial Reporting
1. Does your agency have fiscal policies and procedures that include standard accounting practices, budgeting, and documenting and reporting
procedures? Yes ☐ No ☐ Yes
2. How do you monitor your grant expenditures? A budget is prepared annually by the Grant Managers (Director) and approved by the agency
awarding the grant. For the Carl D. Perkins Secondary, Section 131 Entitlement Grant the awarding agency is the Florida Department of
Education. These grant funds are identified and separated into special revenue funds. Then the budgets are put into a file format that allows
the budget department to upload into PeopleSoft. Expenditures are limited by the system (PeopleSoft) to the amount budgeted.
Management uses the approved budget to track and control expenditures. (i.e. budget to actual expenditures are reviewed) This method
reduces the opportunity for miscoding transactions. In addition, any purchase requisition must indicate why these are allowable
expenditures under the grant. This ensures that funds are being used is an efficient and cost effective manner in carrying out the objectives
of the grants.
3. How do program and fiscal managers coordinate their activities so information can be shared? There is open communication between grant
program and grant fiscal staff. Grant Budgets as well as Grant Award Notifications are provided to both program and fiscal staff. Both
program and fiscal staff are aware of cut-off dates and review expenditures to ensure compliance.
Accounting records
What process does your agency use to maintain detailed accounting records? The Palm Beach County School District uses the PeopleSoft
accounting system for recording transactions related to Expenditures, Revenues, Assets and Liabilities.
1. How are your accounting, procurement and inventory management systems linked to minimize problems? Accounts payable, General Ledger,
Purchasing, Payroll, Fixed Asset management and Inventory are all modules within Peoplsoft..
Internal control
What controls are in place to protect technology and equipment acquired with federal funds? Numbered red tags are used to identify District
owned tangible property. Equipment is tagged at the point of receipt. The asset tag is to be placed where they can be easily scanned and
where they can be permanently fixed to the asset. Florida statue 274 requires that an inventory of all tangible property be conducted annually.
The bar coded tags are scanned by one of three auditors from the asset management group on annual basis. The purpose of a physical
inventory is to verify the existence and condition of the equipment to ensure the accuracy of the District’s accounting records and ensure
compliance with state statue. The basis for the inventory reports is the asset management module in PeopleSoft maintained by asset
management staff. The PS module is capable of maintaining equipment records on a Fund basis in order to provide identification of property
acquired with Federal funds.
How do you assure that property is used solely for authorized purposes? Communication of all changes to Asset Management throughout the year
is done to maintain the accuracy of these listings. The physical inventory process will reveal discrepancies between recorded data and capital
assets and provide an opportunity to make corrections. Assets acquired with grant funds are subject to terms and conditions stated in the various
agreements. Although title of the asset may remain with the District, if an asset is disposed of via a sale of the asset, any funds received associated
with the sale of such asset, must be used to purchase another asset within the same grant or the funds must be returned to the grant agency the
originally paid for the asset.
Budget control
What process is in place for reconciling budgeted amounts with actual expenditures where payments to you are based on expenditures and
performance? Appropriate level of supervisory review of cash management and monthly reconciliation of cash balances, and related revenue
and expenditures performed by grants accounting staff and reviewed by grant accounting manager. (Distributive aid report). There are no cash
advances made under these grants. The cash is requested on a reimbursement basis based on expenditures incurred. Cash drawdown requests
are submitted online weekly by a Grant Accounting team member. These requests are approved by the Grants Accounting Manager. The related
revenue and receivable (i.e., Due from State) are routinely monitored and reconciled by grants accounting to ascertain proper collection of cash
and revenue reporting.
Allowable cost
1. Which staff positions have responsibility for approving expenditures (purchases) under the grant? Payroll Costs-Time worked is approved
online by the employee’s supervisor. Authorization forms must be filled out for vacation, sick or overtime. In order to satisfy the Time and
Effort Reporting requirements, every pay period each principal or department head certifies any federally funded grant position while
approving their employees’ time. The funding strip is incorporated into the payroll approval screen. A certification is above the “Approve”
button stating: “I certifiy that any federally funded grant position worked 100% of the time on the grant activities or, if split funded,
completed the monthly Personnel Activity Report (PAR).” Where employees work on multiple activities or cost objectives, a distribution of
their salaries is supported by personnel activity reports (PARs) prepared monthly and signed by the employee
Non-Payroll Costs - Purchase orders are approved by the appropriate level of authority.
1) Purchases under $1,000 – May be made on a Purchasing Card, an Employee Reimbursement Form or through an authorized petty cash
fund or internal account using established procedures.
2) Purchases from $1,000 but less than $5,000 – Require a requisition and approval of Grant Manager (Director).
3) Purchases between $5,000 and $10,000 – Require three (3) competitive quotes to be secured and reviewed by the Purchasing
Department, approved by the Grant Manager (Director) and a requisition.
4) Purchases between $10,000 and $50,000 - Require a formal quote from a minimum of three vendors for review by the Purchasing
Department.
5) Purchases over $50,000 - Require a sealed competitive solicitation.
How do you ensure that expenditures are "reasonable, allowable and allocable”? Management uses the approved budget to track and control
expenditures. Expenditures are limited to the amount budgeted. This method reduces the opportunity for miscoding transactions. The Director
of Choice & Career Options, Dr. Peter B. Licata has thorough understanding of his staff, processes, and controls to identify the possible risk of
unallowed activities and or costs that could be charged to the program and not be detected.
Source documentation
How do you document various accounting transactions (payroll, purchases, etc.)?
1.
The Palm Beach County School District School uses the PeopleSoft accounting system for recording transactions related to Expenditures
and Compensation. Source documents include journal entries, payroll entries, purchase requisitions, purchase orders, accounts payable
vouchers, p-card transactions, etc.