WestEd, a NASBA-certified continuing professional education (CPE) sponsor, continues its interactive fiscal compliance training for district and charter school leaders this fall.
These trainings focus on internal controls and practices needed to comply with complex federal requirements, including but not limited to:
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
- Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR)
- Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG)
The October sessions focus on helping school business officers and programs directors increase their knowledge of the allowable uses of federal funds (IDEA and Title I-A) and the local educational agency maintenance of effort (LEA MOE) requirement under IDEA. The sessions will also help participants be better prepared for audits and fiscal monitoring. We will review the general requirements and discuss internal controls for effective financial management. We will cover strategies for addressing common challenges related to the timely obligation and liquidation of funds, the grant close-out process, single audits, and state agency fiscal monitoring.
Learning Outcomes
WestEd’s Finance Training Series enhances the capacity of school and district federal program administrators and finance leaders to:
- Understand and resolve any misinterpretation of federal education fiscal requirements
- Increase the effectiveness of internal controls and procedures for meeting federal grant requirements and remove unnecessary barriers to innovations to improve student outcomes
Who Will Benefit
- Business Officers and Managers
- Special Education Directors/Administrators
- Federal Program Directors/Administrators
- Superintendents and School Administrators
Dates & Times
WestEd will host four interactive training sessions in October.
DAY ONE
Session 1: Internal Controls for Effective Financial Management and Federal Grant Administration
Date: October 25, 2022
Time: 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (PT) / 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (ET)
The second round of federal recovery funds expires on September 30, 2023; this is also the obligation due date for most federal education grants appropriated for other federal education programs. Local education agencies (LEAs) must ensure those expiring funds are obligated before the end of the period of availability.
What processes should be in place to mitigate the risk of returning unused federal subgrants? Internal controls required under the Uniform Grant Guidance should help maximize the effective use of federal funds. Effective financial management and transparency between fiscal and program officers are essential for better program outcomes. This session will review the internal controls and federal financial management requirements and explore the recommended procedures and best practices for the timely obligation of federal funds and the federal grant close-out process for your federal subgrants, particularly the expiring funds.
Session 2: Single Audit and Fiscal Monitoring: How Do You Prepare?
Date: October 25, 2022
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (PT) / 2:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (ET)
The Single Audit Requirement, Subpart F of the OMB Uniform Guidance, is a rigorous, organization-wide audit or examination of an entity that spends $750,000 or more of federal funds received during a school year. Most states have more restrictive requirements for LEA to have a financial audit done annually regardless of the amount of federal grant expended. Under the Uniform Grant Guidance, states, as pass-through agencies, also have oversight responsibility of their LEAs and are required to conduct sub-recipient fiscal monitoring.
How do you prepare for an audit and monitoring of your federal education programs? A clear understanding of the reviewer and auditors’ expectations will allow LEAs to mitigate the risk of unnecessary audit and fiscal monitoring findings with significant consequences. This session will review the auditors’ and state monitors’ expectations and the most common audit findings and share strategies for completing audits and state monitoring.
DAY TWO
Session 3: Allowable Use of Federal Funds: IDEA and Title I Part – A
Date: October 26. 2022
Time: 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (PT) / 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (ET)
Misinterpreting complex provisions and federal fiscal requirements can lead to using federal funds for unallowable costs, leading to audit and fiscal monitoring findings with significant consequences.
How do you proactively mitigate the risk of the unallowable use of federal funds? LEAs should develop internal processes and tools to increase staff confidence in making decisions regarding the allowable use of federal funds. This session will review the Federal requirements related to using IDEA and Title I Part-A federal funds for improved program outcomes. Participants will review the regulations governing the allowable uses of these federal education funds and increase their understanding of essential concepts to help make informed decisions.
Session 4: Maintenance of Effort: Implications of Federal Recovery Funds
Date: October 26, 2022
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (PT) / 2:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (ET)
With the disruption of activities during the pandemic and increased federal funding, has it been challenging to meet MOE and spend recovery funds?
How do you avoid potential LEA MOE failure? Effective implementation of LEA MOE requirements can help ensure compliance with these fiscal provisions under IDEA. This session focuses on the implications of increased funding on MOE and provides strategies for using allowable exceptions, including an adjustment available when federal funds increase for many LEAs.
Pricing
- One Session: $90
- Two Sessions: $180
- Three Sessions: $270
- Four Sessions: $360
This fee includes access for one person to the selected sessions, all materials for live learning components, and access to the recorded training session for up to 90 days.
Additional Information
- WestEd is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of CPE on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have ultimate authority on accepting individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.
- Participants can receive up to eight (8) CPE credit hours upon completion of the training, included in the above cost.
- LOCATION: Zoom (a link will be sent to you upon registration and payment)
- Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY: We offer cancelations with full refunds up to 2 days prior to each training.
For more information, contact us at [email protected].
Your Facilitators
Anthony Mukuna is a Senior Program Associate – Special Education and School Finance at WestEd. He leads school finance and fiscal accountability engagements with states and supports cross-area projects within WestEd. Mukuna has a strong background in accounting with several years of work experience with local and state governments, in which he managed diverse federal and state funding programs. Previously, Mukuna worked for the Idaho Supreme Court Finance Office and the Idaho State Department of Education, creating a strong fiscal accountability structure. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Idaho and earned his master’s degree in Business Administration at Idaho State University.
Sara Doutre is a recognized expert in special education policy and finance. Leveraging her federal, state, and classroom experience, Doutre leads accountability and finance work as a Senior Project Director on WestEd’s Special Education Policy & Practice team. Her contribution to state guidelines for braided and blended funding strategies to address significant disproportionality in special education empowered administrators to focus on innovative, inclusive practices. Doutre previously monitored state programs and developed policy guidance at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and has an MA from George Washington University in education policy.