REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The Lenoir County Board of Education (hereinafter called the “unit”) invites

qualified independent auditors (hereinafter called “auditor”) having sufficient governmental

accounting and auditing experience in performing an audit in accordance with the specifications outlined in this Request for Proposal (RFP) to submit a proposal.

There is no expressed or implied obligation for the Lenoir County Board of Education to reimburse firms for any expenses incurred in preparing proposals in response to this request.

The specific details shown herein shall be considered minimum unless otherwise shown. The specifications, terms, and conditions included with this RFP shall govern in any resulting contract(s) unless approved otherwise in writing by the unit. The bidder consents to personal jurisdiction and venue in a state court of competent jurisdiction in Lenoir County, North Carolina. 

Type of Audit

The audit will encompass a financial and compliance examination of the unit’s basic financial statements, supplementary information and compliance reports in accordance with the laws and/or regulations of the State of North Carolina, which include requirements for the minimum scope of the audit. The financial and compliance audit will cover federal, state, and local funding sources in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards; Government Auditing Standards, July 2011 revisions; the Single Audit Act of 1984; the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996; the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations, including revisions published in Federal Register June 27, 2003 and June 26, 2007; the State Single Audit Implementation Act; and all other applicable laws and regulations.

Period

The unit intends to continue the relationship with the auditor for no less than three years on the basis of annual negotiation after the completion of the first year contract. Each year, after negotiation has taken place, an annual contract documenting the terms of the audit will be signed. Since one governing board may not obligate future governing boards, the remaining years of the agreement are subject to annual governing board approval. The Lenoir County Board of Education reserves the right to request proposals at any time following the first year of this contract. Thus, prepare proposals for the following years, with year one being the only obligated year

July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020

July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021

July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022

Requirements

The audit must be conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards; Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States; Office of Management and Budget Circular No.A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations; the State Single Audit Implementation Act, and any other applicable procedures for the audit of a government's financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The Auditor will prepare most year-end adjusting journal entries. The auditor will be ultimately responsible for the preparation, typing, proofing, printing, and copying of the Basic Financial Statements, supplementary information and compliance reports. The Lenoir County Board of Education’s Finance Officer will be actively involved in the MD&A, and other schedules section preparation. The auditor will submit a draft of the Financial Statement to be reviewed in detail by the Finance Officer. This draft should be submitted to the Lenoir County Board of Education in time to allow ample review and corrections. The timing of this should insure final completion of the Financial Statements no later than the annual October 31st deadline.

The Lenoir County unit prefers interim fieldwork be completed in late May to mid June. Year-end fieldwork should begin in mid-August and be completed by September 15th. An agreed upon post-closing trial balance must exist by September 30th. The Finance Officer will expect a listing of requested information needed for the audit at the preplanning conference, periodic conferences during the conduct of the audit, as well as an exit conference prior to the completion of fieldwork.

The audit must be completed and reports rendered four months following the fiscal year end (October 31).

A preliminary draft of the audit and required journal entries must be submitted to the Finance Officer (or Audit Committee if applicable) by October 1 for proofing and reconciliation to the unit’s records.

One (1) electronic copy & 12 hard copies of each audit report, management letter, and other applicable reports must be supplied to the Finance Officer within the time frame cited above. In addition, the auditor is responsible for submitting the required two copies to the staff of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Any other copies required will be charged on an as needed basis in addition to the quoted fee.

The financial audit opinion will cover the financial statements for the governmental activities, the business-type activities, the financial statements of the aggregate discretely presented component units, each major fund, and the remaining fund information, which collectively constitutes the basic financial statements. The combining and individual financial statements, schedules and related information are not necessary for fair presentation, but will be presented as additional analytical data. This supplemental information, as required by GASB 34, will be subjected to the tests and other auditing procedures applied in the audit of the basic financial statements and an opinion will be given as to whether the supplemental information is fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole. The auditor shall also express an opinion on the budgetary comparison information for the general fund, the major funds, and any annually budgeted special revenue funds. An opinion will not be given on the Management Discussion and Analysis.

The working papers shall be retained and made available upon request for no less than three years from the date of the audit report. 

In the event that circumstances arise during the audit that require work to be performed in excess of the original estimates, any additional costs will be negotiated prior to commencement of the work and an amended contract will be approved by the governing board and forwarded to the staff of the LGC for approval.

Audit Contract & Payment of Audit Fees

The audit contract must be approved by the staff of the Local Government Commission.

Invoices are subject to approval by the LGC staff and the appropriate Grantor Agency, if applicable, prior to processing by the school unit. If grant funds will be used to pay for the audit, the grant agreement may require the Grantor Agency’s approval before the invoice may be paid. Interim or progress billings will be accepted up to 75% of the total fee prior to submission of the audited financial statements to the staff of the Local Government Commission and their approval of the audited financial statements.

Other Services

The auditor will prepare, type, and print the audited financial statements. The auditor will submit a draft for review by the Finance Officer. The Finance Officer will return the draft with proposed revisions within 10 working days.

Description of Selection Process 

Five (5) copies of each section of the proposal should be submitted at the time and place indicated under the section entitled “Time Schedule for Awarding Contract.” 

Proposals will be submitted in two sections. The first section will be comprised of the audit firm’s prior experience and qualifications of its personnel in performing governmental audits.

The review committee will evaluate the auditor/firm on educational and technical qualifications. The top three (3) firms from the first section will have their second section opened and evaluated. The firm best meeting the Lenoir County Board of Education’s expectations for experience, audit approach, and cost requirements will be selected.

 

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT COST, WHILE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR, WILL NOT BE A SOLE DETERMINING FACTOR. UNUSUALLY LOW BIDS THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY OUT OF LINE WITH OTHER BIDDERS OR ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN OUR CURRENT FEES WILL RAISE CONCERN. THE LOWEST BID WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY BE AWARDED PREFERENTIAL CONSIDERATION.

The Lenoir County Board of Education requests that no Lenoir County Board of Education officials be contacted during this process. The Finance Officer may be contacted only to clarify questions concerning the RFP.

The school unit reserves the right to reject any or all bids, waive technicalities, and to be the sole judge of suitability of the services for its intended use and further, specifically reserve the right to make the award in the best interest of the school unit.

Failure to respond to any requirements outlined in the RFP or failure to enclose copies of the required documents may disqualify the bid.

First Section

The first section should address the requested information below. The corresponding responses should begin with the number below for the requested information.

1. Indicate the number of people (by level) located within the local office that will conduct the audit.

2. Provide a list of the local office’s current and prior government audit clients, indicating the type(s) of services performed and the number of years served for each. Responsive firms should include any relevant information regarding audits performed on financial statements prepared under the new reporting model.

3. Indicate the experience of the local office in providing additional services to government clients by listing the name of each government, the type(s) of service performed, and the year(s) of engagement.

4. Describe your audit organization’s participation in AICPA-sponsored or comparable quality control programs (peer review). Provide a copy of the firm’s current peer review.

5. Describe the professional experience in governmental audits of each senior and higher level person assigned to the audit, the years on each job, and his/her position while on each audit. Indicate the percentages of time each senior and higher-level personnel will be on site. Again, relevant experience with the new reporting model should be clearly communicated.

6. Describe the relevant educational background of each person assigned to the audit, senior level and higher. This should include seminars and courses attended within the past three years, especially those courses in governmental accounting and auditing.

7. Describe the professional experience of assigned individuals in auditing relevant government organizations, programs, activities, or functions (e.g., utilities, solid waste, transit, airports, or health authorities and school systems).

8. Describe any specialized skills, training, or background in public finance of assigned individuals. This may include participation in State or national professional organizations, speaker or instructor roles in conferences or seminars, or authorship of articles and books.

9. Provide names, addresses, and telephone numbers of personnel of current and prior governmental audit clients who may be contracted for a reference.

10. Describe the firm’s Statement of Policy and Procedures regarding Independence under Government Auditing Standards (Yellow Book), January 2011 Revision. Provide a copy of the firm’s Statement of Policy and Procedures.

11. Is the firm adequately insured to cover claims? Describe liability insurance coverage arrangements.

12. Describe any regulatory action taken by any oversight body against the proposing audit organization or local office.

Second Section

Proposals should include completed cost estimate sheets and any other necessary cost information in a separate, sealed envelope marked – “Cost Estimate.” The unit plans to evaluate the qualifications of all firms submitting proposals before considering the Cost Estimate.

This second section should consist of completed cost estimate sheets, which will include the following information:

1.     Type of audit program used (tailor-made, standard government, or standard commercial).

2.     Use of statistical sampling.

3.   Use of computer audit specialists.

4.   Organization of the audit team and the approximate percentage of time spent on the audit by each member. 

5.   Information that will be contained in the management letter.

6.   Assistance expected from the government’s staff, if other than outlined in the RFP.

7.   Tentative schedule for completing the audit within the specified deadlines of the RFP.  

8.   Specify costs using the format below for the audit year July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. For the following two audit years, list the estimated costs. The cost for the audit year ending June 30, 2016 is binding, while the second and third years are estimated costs. Cost estimates must indicate the basis for the charges and whether the amount is a “not-to-exceed” amount.

• A. Personnel costs – Itemize the following for each category of personnel (partner, manager, senior, staff accountants, clerical, etc.) with the different rates per hour.

1. Estimated hours – categorize estimated hours into the following: on-site interim work, year-end on-site work, and work performed in the auditor’s office.
2. Rate per hour.
3. Total cost for each category of personnel and for all personnel costs in total.

• B. Travel – itemize transportation and other travel costs separately.
• C. Cost of supplies and materials – itemize.
• D. Other costs – completely identify and itemize.
• E. If applicable, note your method of determining increases in audit costs on a year to year basis

10.       Please list any other information the firm may wish to provide.

11.       Please include the Summary of Audit Costs Sheet with your proposal.

Time Schedule for Awarding the Contract

Request for proposal packages will be released by April 28, 2020 

Please acknowledge the receipt of this request for proposal and your intent to respond with a proposal by May 5, 2020. This acknowledgment can be emailed to Eric Adams, Finance Officer, at eadams@lenoir.k12.nc.us.

Proposals signed by authorized officials will be received by Eric Adams, Finance Officer, at Lenoir County Schools, PO Box 100, Kinston, NC  28504 until  May 15, 2020  at 4:00PM.  Envelopes containing proposals should be clearly identified on the front with the words “RESPONSE TO RFP FOR AUDIT SERVICES”. The review committee will review the proposals and make a recommendation to the Board of Education on June 1, 2020 at which time the contract will be awarded.

Any questions should be directed to Eric Adams, Finance Officer, at 252-527-1109, extension 1039 or eadams@lenoir.k12.nc.us.

Description of the Governmental Entity and Its Accounting System

Entity 

Lenoir County Board of Education is a public school system in North Carolina with approximately 8,500 students and 1,200 employees. The school system is comprised of 17 individual schools: three (3) traditional high schools, one (1) early college high school, one (1) alternative learning academy, three (3) middle schools, one (1) k-8 school, and eight (8) elementary schools. The entity operates one enterprise fund, School Food Service Fund. 

Funds

The Lenoir County Board of Education maintains the following funds: 

Governmental Funds

·      Local Current Expense Fund

·      State Public School Fund

·      Individual Schools Fund

·      Capital Outlay Fund

·      Other Local Current Expense Fund

·      Federal Grants Fund

Proprietary Funds

·      Enterprise Fund:

o   School Food Service Fund

Budgets

The unit budgets all funds on the modified accrual basis of accounting as required by North Carolina law. Appropriations are made at the purpose code level. The unit also maintains an encumbrance system. Both the budgetary and encumbrance systems are integrated with the accounting system to provide easy comparison with actual expenditures.

Accounting Records

The Lenoir County Board of Education maintains all of its accounting records at the finance office located at 2017 West Vernon Avenue, Kinston, NC  28502. The governmental unit maintains its cash receipts journal, cash disbursements journal, general ledger, and accounts receivable ledger on an offsite server managed by SAS, Inc in Cary, NC. The software is SunPac by Serenic Software.

Assistance Available to Auditor

The unit will make available to the auditor sufficient help to pull and re-file records, and prepare and mail all necessary confirmations. A trial balance with budgeted amounts will be made available.  The following accounting procedures will be completed and documents prepared by the unit’s staff:

·      The books of account will be fully balanced.

·      All subsidiary ledgers will be reconciled to control accounts.

·      All bank account reconciliations for each month will be completed.

 

The unit’s personnel will prepare the following items:

General

1.     Working balance sheet for each fund.

2.     A copy of the original budget, all amendments & the final budget as of June 30, 2016.

3.     Copies of all correspondence with the staff of the Local Government Commission, including semiannual Cash & Investment Reports (LGC-203), unit letters, faxes regarding the audited financial statements & compliance reports for the previous year.

4.     Management’s Discussion & Analysis 

Cash and Investments

1.     All bank reconciliations for each month

2.     List of outstanding checks by account, showing check number, date, and amount.

3.     List of all investments for all funds at the audit date.

Receivables

1.     Listing of outstanding receivables by account as of the fiscal year end.

2.     Listing of outstanding receivables in detail as of the fiscal year end.

3.     Schedule of miscellaneous receivables booked as of the fiscal year end.

Other Assets

1.     Schedule of insurance coverage.

Current Liabilities

1.     Listing of accounts payables as of the fiscal year end.

Grants

The following will be compiled for each grant:

1.     Grant agreement.

2.     Budget.

3.     All financial reports.

4.     Correspondence with the grantor agency, including monitoring reports.

5.     CFDA # and/or pass-through grant #. 

Contact information:

Eric Adams, Finance Officer

Lenoir County Board of Education

PO Box 729

2017 W. Vernon Ave.

Kinston, NC  28504

Phone: 252-527-1109 ext. 1039

Fax:    252-527-9885

Email: eadams@lenoir.k12.nc.us

 

SUMMARY OF AUDIT COSTS SHEET

 

1.     Base Audit                                                                                        $_________________

(Includes personnel costs, travel & on-site work)

 

 

2.     Financial Statement Preparation                                                       $_________________

 

 

3.     Extra Audit Service ($______ per hour)                                           $_________________

 

 

4.     Other (explain)                                                                                  $_________________

 

 

TOTAL                                                                                                   $_________________

Lenoir County Public Schools is in the process of applying for federal funding for the 2019-20 school year through the following Federal Programs: Title I, Part A - Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged; Title I, Part C - Education of Migratory Children; Title II, Part A – Supporting Effective Instruction; Title III—Language Acquisition; and Title IV – Student Support & Academic Enrichment. If you would like to review and/or to comment on any of these federal applications contact Abbott Hunsucker, Director of Federal Programs, at (252) 527-1109.

Las Escuelas Publicas del Condado de Lenoir Solicitarán Financiamiento Federal

Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Lenoir están en el proceso de solicitar fondos federales para el año escolar 2019-20 a través de los siguientes Programas Federales: Título I, Parte A - Mejorando el Logro Académico de los Desfavorecidos; Título I, Parte C - Educación de niños migratorios; Título II, Parte A -Apoyo para una Educación Efectiva; Título III-Adquisición del idioma; y Título IV - Apoyo Estudiantil y Enriquecimiento Académico. Si desea revisar y / o comentar sobre cualquiera de estas solicitudes federales, comuníquese con Abbott Hunsucker, Directora de Programas Federales, al (252) 527-1109.

The Lenoir County Board of Education is seeking to fill a vacancy on the Board of Education due to the resignation of Mr. Jon Sargeant, who resigned after accepting an appointment as District Court Judge. The Board of Education is required to appoint an individual from District 3 who is of the same political party as Mr. Sargeant, a Democrat. The appointee will serve until the next school board election (November 2020), at which time the District 3 seat will be filled by an election for its standard four-year term.

In order to be eligible for this office, you must (1) be 21 years of age or older; (2) be qualified to vote in North Carolina; (3) have been a resident in District 3 for at least 30 days; and (4) have been a registered Democrat for at least 90 days. Other legal restrictions may apply.

If you wish to be considered for this office, please submit a statement of your interest to the Office of the Superintendent of Lenoir County Schools, P.O. Box 729, Kinston, North Carolina, 28502-0729. Your statement of interest must be postmarked no later than Friday, August 10, 2018. Please include the following information in your statement: name, address, telephone number, affirmation that you meet all the above qualifications for the office, the specific reasons you wish to be considered for the office, and other appropriate background or biographical information.

If you meet the eligibility requirements for this office and submit a timely statement of interest, you will be given the opportunity to present in person the reasons the Board should appoint you to the office. The Board will hear these presentations at its regularly-scheduled meeting on Tuesday, September 4, 2018. You will be given 5 minutes to make your presentation.

Please see the public notice NC Application for IDEA Grant -- Federal Fiscal Year 2018 -- through April 20, 2018.

Lenoir County Public Schools is interested in receiving proposals for mental health agencies to provide mental health services to students in the school setting in Lenoir County Public Schools. Lenoir County Public Schools is only interested in proposals from licensed independent practitioners, outpatient therapy practices of East Pointe MCO network providers. The provider(s) selected will need to demonstrate the capacity to implement evidence based or best practice models, the capacity to develop relationships with the school system in order to co-locate services within the school settings. Applicants may select to provide services for all schools in Lenoir County or an individual school.

The primary focus of this initiative is to provide school based services to address the treatment needs of children, through co-location of a MH/DD/SA clinician in each school with identified needs. This call for proposal will develop the Partnership for School Based Mental Health services. The clinician working in each school(s) would be identified as the local contact to provide assessment and treatment for children in the school(s). There is no funding from the school district attached. Providers will be responsible for billing the parent/legal guardian/insurance/Medicaid for the services rendered. These services will provide greater access to assessment and treatment for children in Lenoir County Public Schools.

It must be clearly understood that this call for proposals is being used as a vehicle to obtain applications from agencies that are capable of providing a full continuum of services to the target population. Interested clinicians should submit a letter of interest including their professional disclosure statement to Vivian Roach at vroach@lenoir.k12.nc.us by July 28, 2017. Candidate’s applications will be reviewed followed by an interview for the selected candidates. Candidates selected will be notified of selection by August 4, 2017. This should not be interpreted as a contract (implicit, explicit, or implied), nor does it imply any form of an agreement to any potential candidate. In addition, no inference should be made that Lenoir County Public Schools will purchase and/or implement in the future any of the programs or services proposed by the respondents.

The respondent cannot eject or reject any client in need of services and must meet the criteria outlined in the credentialing process and service definition for these services. It is not the intent of the call for proposals to limit choice but instead to assure access to care. The agency or individual must have access to physician services 24/7/365 when applicable. The provider(s) approved must be in compliance with all applicable rules of licensure to include Clinical Coverage Policy 8C and eligible to apply for credentialing endorsement if required. All applicants must be credentialed with East Pointe MCO in order to be allowed to continue in the selection process.

If you have questions, you may email Vivian Roach, Exceptional Children’s Director, Lenoir County Public Schools at vroach@lenoir.k12.nc.us.