FINDING 2023-006
Information on the federal program:
Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment
Federal Agency: Department of Education
Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, Special Education Preschool Grants
Assistance Listings Numbers: 84.0...
FINDING 2023-006
Information on the federal program:
Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment
Federal Agency: Department of Education
Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States, Special Education Preschool Grants
Assistance Listings Numbers: 84.027, 84.027X, 84.173, 84.173X
Federal Award Numbers: 19611-022-PN01, 20611-022-PN01, 21611-022-PN01, 22611-022-PN01,
22611-022-ARP, 23611-022-PN01, 20619-022-PN01, 21619-022-PN01, 22619-022-PN01,
22619-022-ARP, 23619-022-PN01
Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education
Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment
Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Qualified Opinion
Condition: The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative
complied with the procurement and suspension an debarment requirements. The Cooperative had not
designed or implemented adequate policies or procedures to ensure that proper procurement procedures
for micro or small purchases were followed. There was no oversight, review, or approval process in place
and documented at the Cooperative to ensure proper procedures were followed and price or rate
quotations were obtained, if required, or documentation to support limited procurement procedures.
Context: The School Corporation is a member of the Greene-Sullivan Special Education Cooperative
(Cooperative). During fiscal year 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, the Cooperative operated the special
education programs and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreements
were between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School
Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. However, there was
inadequate oversight performed by the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with the
Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement.
Procurement
Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for
property or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is set at $250,000 unless
a lower, more restrictive threshold is set by a non-Federal entity. As Indiana Code has set a more
restrictive threshold of $150,000, informal procurement methods are permitted when the value of the
procurement does not exceed $150,000. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal
bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds.
Micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for
those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold, but below the simplified acquisition threshold.
Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase
procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of
qualified sources.
For fiscal year 2022, three vendors, totaling $88,772, were identified as being less than the simplified
acquisition threshold of $150,000, but exceeding the $10,000 micro-purchase threshold. One of the three
vendors was a bankcard used to pay several different vendors; however, individual determinations of
amount spent by vendor could not be determined, and thus it was considered under this threshold. All
three vendors were tested. For all three, the Cooperative did not obtain price or rate quotes nor was there
documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement
method used.
For fiscal year 2023, six vendors, totaling $264,106, were identified as being less than the simplified
acquisition threshold of $150,000, but exceeding the $10,000 micro-purchase threshold. One of the six
vendors was a bankcard used to pay several different vendors; however, individual determinations of
amount spent by vendor could not be determined, and thus it was considered under this threshold. All six
vendors were tested. For five of the six, totaling $252,906, the Cooperative did not obtain price or rate
quotes nor was there documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason
for the procurement method used.
The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period.
Suspension and Debarment
Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are
required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise
excluded. “Covered transactions” include but are not limited to contracts for goods and services awarded
under a non-procurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed
$25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAMs exclusions, collecting a certification from
that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor.
Upon inquiry of the School Corporation in order to review the procedures in place for verifying that a
vendor with which it plans to enter into a covered transaction is not suspended, debarred, or otherwise
excluded, the Cooperative disclosed they relied on a clause to be included in the vendor contracts to
ensure compliance. Two covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 were identified. Both
transactions, totaling $192,218, were selected for testing. One of the two transactions, totaling $44,883,
included the appropriate clause. For the other vendor, the Cooperative did not verify the vendor’s
suspension and debarment status prior to payment.
The lack of internal controls and noncompliance regarding suspension and debarment were isolated to
fiscal year 2023.
Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding
and will take the following corrective action:
1 – Northeast School Corporation will ensure a system of internal control and procedures are in place and
appropriate procurement procedures for goods and services are followed.
2 – The Cooperative will post any openings that exceed the small purchase threshold in the local
newspapers, within the office, and on the cooperative website. Any and all proposals will be presented to
the Cooperative Board of Directors for approval.
Responsible party and timeline for completion:
Mark A Baker, Superintendent
Effective April 2024