Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to review the process and procedures used to procure professional services for the period July 1, 2014 through December 31, 2015.

Background

The Manchester-Shortsville Central School District is located in the Towns of Manchester, Hopewell and Farmington in Ontario County. The District, which operates one school with approximately 820 students, is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Education. Budgeted appropriations for the 2015-16 fiscal year totaled approximately $16.6 million.

Key Findings

• The Board adopted an administrative regulation outlining the requirements for using a request for proposals (RFP) process which did not provide guidance for professional services when the RFP process would not be required.
• The District did not always properly seek competition for contracts with professional service providers.

Key Recommendations

• Revise the regulation to include specific dollar thresholds for when RFPs are required and address procedures to be followed when professional service costs fall below the threshold.
• Award contracts consistent with District policy and document decisions.