Corrective Action Plans

2024-004 Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the recommendation and has implemented measures to improve procurement recordkeeping and compliance. A structured procurement folders and subfolders system has been established to maintain all relevant documentation. Management is actively working with consultants to update policies and procedures. Staff is scheduled to complete a structured three-session training through GFOA to enhance their understanding of federal procurement regulations and best practices. The District will continue training and development efforts in public procurement, with a particular focus on federal compliance, strengthening internal controls, improving documentation, and ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements Responsible Party: Director of Finance & Administration and Department Managers Implementation Date: Ongoing; full implementation expected by June 30, 2025

x. Management Response and Corrective Action Plan: The first of the two identified vendors – Maxim/Amergis - is an employment agency with a specialty in staffing providers who work in the healthcare and social services field. NBCC was seeking to hire an RN. Significant documentable effort was invested in hiring an RN with the necessary experience to fill our vacant RN Healthcare Navigator position. After months of being unable to find an appropriate candidate, NBCC sought consultation from the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health who advised us of the name of the employment agency (Maxim/Amergis) that is used by the Department of Public Health and Department of Behavioral Wellness to staff their RN positions. We reached out to Maxim/Amergis, provided them with the job listing, and reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates until we found an appropriate match. This was a prolonged and involved process where we spent a significant amount of time working to hire the best suited RN for working in the field with the homeless and formerly homeless individuals we serve. We did not perceive this to be a traditional procurement effort and therefore did not create a written analysis of our efforts to identify and hire an RN, nor did we conduct a SAM search on the company given that the company routinely staffs our departments of behavioral and public health. The second identified vendor is Paychex. We believe our efforts to secure a new payroll solution company were very much aligned with Uniform Guidance rules. Our external accounting firm and multiple staff spent more than one year interviewing multiple potential payroll solution providers, including but not limited to, Paychex, ADP, ClickUp, Inova, Credible, and Replicon, among others. We only reviewed two written cost proposals because only two of the researched and consulted companies were able to provide a solution that could potentially meet our government timesheet needs. We conducted multiple meetings with our external accounting firm and internal staff discussing and analyzing the solution options, but a summary of these discussions was not created. In addition, Paychex is a provider to a number of nonprofits we consulted, including a local grantee who was using their service, and who we were advised had developed a system similar to what we needed for our time and activity reporting requirements. We therefore presumed Paychex was not a debarred contractor given that other nonprofits we spoke to who have the same funding were utilizing their services. Moving forward, we recognize we must write a written analysis of our processes and that we should not assume a vendor has not been debarred given their existing customers and will be sure to confirm a company’s standing on SAM. As a further example of our commitment to always remaining current with procurement standards, at the direction of the Executive Director, our Operations Director had previously enrolled in a two-day Procurement Boot Camp training which occurred this week. Our Operations Director will revisit our procurement process as a result of this finding and after attending the procurement training and will make revisions to our procurement process as necessary to ensure future compliance with Uniform Guidance. Any updates will be made to the NBCC Internal Controls Manual and any new processes will be adhered to subsequent to those revisions. xi. Contact Person (s) Responsible for Corrective Action: Kristine Schwarz, Executive Director, kschwarz@sbnbcc.org Brenda Lang, Operations Director, blang@sbnbcc.org Michael Dzierski, Finance Director, mdzierski@sbnbcc.org xii. Anticipated Completion Date: The anticipated completion date is May 31, 2025.

FINDING 2024-001 Finding Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Summary of Finding: Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States; COVID-19 - Special Education Preschool Grants Assistance Listings Numbers: 84.027; 84.173 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-042-ARP; 22619-042-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement(s): Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Dawn Mason, Business Manager, DeKalb Co. Eastern CSD Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 260-868-2125; dmason@dkeschools.com Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the findings. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The expenditures referenced in the finding were expended from the American Rescue Plan Special Education grant funds which were fully expended during the audit period. All future expenditures triggering procurement and suspension and debarment requirements will include implementing the following procurement policies. Reference Procurement Standards 2 CFR 200.318 Districts may not enter into contracts with entities that have been suspended or debarred from participating in contracts with federal funds. For contracts over $25,000, districts must verify a contractor is not excluded or disqualified. Contractors must be verified in one of three ways: 1. Checking the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.SAM.gov) 2. Collecting a certificate from that contractor. 3. Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that contractor. (Recommended) **Proper verification and documentation must be sent to the LEA for audit purposes. Methods of Procurement Where specific EDGAR/UG thresholds apply, Districts must meet baseline requirements for procurement. If State or local rules have more restrictive thresholds, the most restrictive rule must be followed. E INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 25 Informal Procurement Procedures 1. Micro-purchase (0-$50,000) Dekalb County Eastern CSD has self-certified micro-purchases for up to $50,000 Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive quotes if the district considers the price to be reasonable. Quotes must be attached to the invoice/checks for proper documentation and retained by the LEA. 2. Small Purchase ($50,000 – $150,000) Three quotes are required prior to purchase unless the purchase comes from a “Sole Source” vendor. Small purchases are required to be ordered under a purchase order unless in an emergency. Additional quotes must be presented along with the purchase order prior to being approved by the LEA. Formal Procurement Procedures 1. Sealed Bids (above $150,000) Bids must be solicited from an adequate number of suppliers, providing them with sufficient response time prior to the opening of the bids. Proper advertisement and procedures must be followed per IC 5-22 and corresponding documentation must be presented to the LEA prior to any final approval or purchases being made. 2. Competitive Proposals (above $150,000) The Request for Proposal method is used for procurements in which factors other than cost play a significant role. Per IC 5-22-9, when a purchasing agent makes a written determination that the use of competitive sealed bidding is either not practicable or not advantageous to the governmental body, the purchasing agent may award a contract using this procedure instead of competitive sealed bidding. This provides a formal process for the procurement of goods and/or services for which price is not the sole factor in the selection of a vendor or vendors. Proper advertisement and procedures must be followed per IC 5-22 and corresponding documentation must be presented to the LEA prior to any final approval or purchases being made. Noncompetitive (Sole Source) All sole source procurements require adequate written justification and must be attached to the corresponding purchase order or payment. Anticipated Completion Date: All expenditures initiated after March 12, 2025

FINDING 2024-003 Finding Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Bethany Cmar Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 765-641-2126 (Bcmar@acsc.net) Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: When it comes to procurements thresholds, ACS will prepare a policy to follow the necessary federal guidelines. For small purchases, three quotes or bids will be obtained to ensure compliance with the procurement guidelines. For all vendors expected to exceed over $25,000 in expenditures will be kept in a binder by the Special Ed Director to ensure that they are not suspended or debarred from federal awards. The CFO will then review and approve the documentation supporting this via signature. Anticipated Completion Date: June 30, 2025

Management concurs. The City will reinforce its procurement policies through regular training and clear communication to all relevant staff members. Specifically, the importance of documenting the appropriate procurement procedures took place and obtaining all required signatures on contracts will be emphasized. Additionally, a periodic review process to ensure compliance with this policy will be implemented to help prevent future occurrences. The City will also take steps to review past contacts for similar issues and take corrective action when necessary.

2024-001Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Relief Funds – Assistance Listing No. 21.027 Recommendation: We recommend that management develop and implement written procurement policies and implement controls and procedures to ensure it maintains documentation of suspension and debarments checks and that the documentation is available for the audit. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to the finding: The Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation implemented a Federal Grant Procurement Policy on March 18, 2025. The purpose of this Procurement Policy is to ensure all procurement activities conducted with funds from federal grants are executed in compliance with federal regulations, promote transparency, fairness, and competitiveness and provide the best value for the resources available. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Lisa Grunder, Vice President of Administration Planned completion date for corrective action plan: March 24, 2025.

FINDING 2024-007 (Section III-Federal Award Findings and Questioned Costs) Finding Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Dawn Mason, Business Manager, DeKalb Co. Eastern CSD Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 260-868-2125; dmason@dkeschools.com Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the findings. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The expenditures referenced in the finding were expended from the American Rescue Plan Special Education grant funds which were fully expended during the audit period. All future expenditures triggering procurement and suspension and debarment requirements will include implementing the following procurement policies. Reference Procurement Standards 2 CFR 200.318 Districts may not enter into contracts with entities that have been suspended or debarred from participating in contracts with federal funds. For contracts over $25,000, districts must verify a contractor is not excluded or disqualified. Contractors must be verified in one of three ways: 1. Checking the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.SAM.gov) 2. Collecting a certificate from that contractor. 3. Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that contractor. (Recommended) **Proper verification and documentation must be sent to the LEA for audit purposes. Methods of Procurement Where specific EDGAR/UG thresholds apply, Districts must meet baseline requirements for procurement. If State or local rules have more restrictive thresholds, the most restrictive rule must be followed. Informal Procurement Procedures 1. Micro-purchase (0-$50,000) Dekalb County Eastern CSD has self-certified micro-purchases for up to $50,000 Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive quotes if the district considers the price to be reasonable. Quotes must be attached to the invoice/checks for proper documentation and retained by the LEA. 2. Small Purchase ($50,000 – $150,000) Three quotes are required prior to purchase unless the purchase comes from a “Sole Source” vendor. Small purchases are required to be ordered under a purchase order unless in an emergency. Additional quotes must be presented along with the purchase order prior to being approved by the LEA. Per Uniform Guidance: 2 CFR § 200.511(a) – “The auditee is responsible for follow-up and corrective action on all audit findings. . .The auditee must also prepare a corrective action plan for current year audit findings. . . The corrective action plan and summary schedule of prior audit findings must include findings relating to the financial statements which are required to be reported in accordance with GAGAS. ” 2 CFR § 200.511(c) – “At the completion of the audit, the auditee must prepare, in a document separate from the auditor's findings described in § 200.516, a corrective action plan to address each audit finding included in the current year auditor's reports. The corrective action plan must provide the name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action, the corrective action planned, and the anticipated completion date. If the auditee does not agree with the audit findings or believes corrective action is not required, then the corrective action plan must include an explanation and specific reasons.” Formal Procurement Procedures 1. Sealed Bids (above $150,000) Bids must be solicited from an adequate number of suppliers, providing them with sufficient response time prior to the opening of the bids. Proper advertisement and procedures must be followed per IC 5-22 and corresponding documentation must be presented to the LEA prior to any final approval or purchases being made. 2. Competitive Proposals (above $150,000) The Request for Proposal method is used for procurements in which factors other than cost play a significant role. Per IC 5-22-9, when a purchasing agent makes a written determination that the use of competitive sealed bidding is either not practicable or not advantageous to the governmental body, the purchasing agent may award a contract using this procedure instead of competitive sealed bidding. This provides a formal process for the procurement of goods and/or services for which price is not the sole factor in the selection of a vendor or vendors. Proper advertisement and procedures must be followed per IC 5-22 and corresponding documentation must be presented to the LEA prior to any final approval or purchases being made. Noncompetitive (Sole Source) All sole source procurements require adequate written justification and must be attached to the corresponding purchase order or payment. Anticipated Completion Date: All expenditures initiated after March 12, 2025

FINDING 2024-003 Finding Subject: Special Education Cluster – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Marcia Fullenkamp, Treasurer Contact Phone Number and Email Address: (812) 623-2212; mfullenkamp@rodspecialed.org Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The ROD Special Education Cooperative will make notes in the Board Minutes regarding the fact that only one vendor can provide specific services prior to entering into a contract or purchasing said services. Each company providing services will be checked on the SAM.gov website to ensure that the vendor has not been suspended or debarred. Anticipated Completion Date: February 1, 2024

Finding 2024‐002 Finding Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) ‐ Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Todd A. Armstrong, Assistant Superintendent Contact Phone Number and Email Address: (812) 897‐6036 tarmstrong@warrick.k12.in.us Views of the Responsible Official: We concur with the finding. Additional Explanation: Although the vendors selected provided specific services outlined in the federal grant, proper documentation of how those vendors were selected was not maintained. Moreover, the department believed by following the spending allotted in the grant, they were meeting necessary purchasing guidelines. Internal controls did not identify this misstep and allowed the services to be purchased. To avoid this in the future, guidelines will be prepared for all departments submitting purchase requests, and an additional control will be put in place to verify that procedures are followed. Description of Corrective Action Plan: 1) Create and write an administrative guideline that outlines expected purchasing procedures. 2) Distribute and make available the administrative guideline to employees. 3) Create an additional internal control in the business office to verify that those procedures were met with each requisition or request for purchase. 4) Provide necessary corrections to any request that does not follow guidelines. Mr. Armstrong will oversee, direct, and coordinate this process. He will work with the Corporation administrative team to develop and write the guidelines. The Business department will distribute the guidelines to all interested parties and have guidelines available upon request. Mr. Armstrong will outline expectations and determine when they have been met satisfactorily. Anticipated Completion Date: The remedy for this finding will be in place prior to June 30, 2025.

FINDING 2024-004 Finding Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Procurement Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Robert Glover Jr. Contact Phone Number: (219) 945-0250 Contact Email Address: rglover@hobart.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: As a member of the Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative (NISEC), School City of Hobart usually expends contracted services out of our general education fund. For the fiscal year 2023-2024, we included our contracted speech services into our federal grant funds. During the audit, Hobart was notified that we didn’t follow the procurement procedures when expending out of the federal grant. This finding was due to Hobart not going out and receiving multiple bids for contracted companies that provide services to our students. Hobart uses three contracted companies to provide Speech Pathologist and Speech Language Assistants. We have used these three companies for many years and have built great working relationships with these providers. After receiving the finding, and discussing with the auditor, we created a memo that we took to our board. In the memo we explained why we use the three contracted vendors instead of going out for bids. Finding Speech Pathologists and Speech Language Assistants is very difficult in the school setting, and they have created great working relationships with these three contracted companies. Within the memo, we listed all the contracted vendors that they use and why they work directly with them instead of going out for bids. If any contracted services are not bid, at the beginning of each school year, they will create a new memo with any contracted companies that they will be using during that school year and the memo will be approved by the School Board. Anticipated Completion Date: 4/30/2025

Condition - The Organization does not have a formalized procurement policy that conforms to applicable standards under Uniform Guidance. Additionally, there was no documentation of the history of procurement including the rationale for the method of procurement and the Organization's procedures for verifying that an entity with which it plans to enter into a covered transaction is not debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded. Recommendation - We recommend that management implement a formal procurement policy using the guidance of 2 CFR 200.317 - 200.327. Additionally, management should follow this policy when procuring services or property and maintain the related documentation. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions - Management agrees with the finding. Management has taken steps to review and revise its policies. Action Taken - Management has reviewed the recommendations and will be discussing potential improvements in the near future. Proposed Completion Date - In progress

Corrective Action Plan Finding 2024-001 Criteria: Recipients of federal awards must follow the procurement standards set out at 2 CFR section 200.317 through 200.326. They must use their own documented procurement procedures, which reflect applicable State laws and regulations, provided that the procedures conform to applicable Federal law and the procurement requirements identified in 2 CFR part 200. Recipients “must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to the following: rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price” 2 CFR section 200.318(i). The School’s procurement procedures include the requirement to maintain sufficient documentation of the history of procurement. The School also has procedures to identify procurement transactions requiring competitive bids or proposals. Auditor Recommendation: We recommend the Academy ensure it 1) maintains documentation of the history of procurement and 2) monitors compliance with documentation requirements. Auditee Response/ Corrective Action Plan: The Academy will review its procurement policies and internal controls and ensure timely action is taken when noncompliance is identified. Person Responsible: Dane Roberts, Executive Director and Randi Limb, Business Manager Timeline: All future contract solicitations will follow the required procurement standards.

Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Internal Controls Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Program: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program Assistance Listing Number: 10.553, 10.555 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): FY 22-23, FY 23-24 Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Finding: Material Weakness Shirley Klowetter, Secretary sklowetter@swraider.com Condition: An effective internal control system was not in place at the School Corporation to ensure compliance with requirements related to the Child Nutrition Cluster and Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirements. Context: Procurement The School Corporation participates in the Region 8 Education Service Center Cooperative which procures vendors for many food purchases and other supplies on behalf of its members. During the audit period, the School Corporation contracted with vendors outside of the Cooperative. One vendor with aggregate annual purchases of$200,000 for fiscal year 2024 exceeded the simplified acquisition purchase threshold (greater than $150,000) but was subjected to small purchase acquisition instead of the policy to perform a formal procurement consisting of a request for proposal (RFP) that is publicly advertised. Suspension and Debarment For two vendors tested which were not procured by the Cooperative and had aggregate annual disbursements exceeding the federal suspension and debarment threshold of $25,000, the School Corporation did not perform suspension and debarment checks to confirm the vendors were not suspended or debarred before entering into the contract or disbursing federal funds. Views of Responsible Official: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: Management will implement a procurement checklist that is reviewed after the purchasing process has been completed to ensure compliance with purchasing requirements for federal awards. Sam.gov will be checked for each vendor with aggregate purchases above $25,000. Responsible Party and Timeline for Completion: Superintendent or designee will immediately implement the above plan.

FINDING 2024-003 Finding Subject: Childhood Nutrition Cluster – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Ralph Shrader, Superintendent Contact Phone Number and Email Address: (765) 762-3364 / rshrader@msdwarco.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: Option 1: We concur with the finding Description of Corrective Action Plan: We will obtain quotes for any purchases that qualify under the small purchases requirement Any director responsible for corporation contracts, will be responsible for checking Sam.gov to ensure the vendor is not on the suspension and disbarment list. A secondary individual will verify the findings. In addition, the micropurchase threshold will be raised to $50,000. Anticipated Completion Date: Effective Immediately

FINDING 2024-005 Finding Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster-Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Summary of Finding: The school corporation made purchases from vendors without using the procurement method and verifying that the vendor was not suspended or debarred. The School corporation did not properly implement a process to identify and assess internal and external risks, or monitor internal control activities to ensure they were operating effectively. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Melissa Embry Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 812-547-2637 melissa.embry@cannelton.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: We will follow all correct procurement plans set forth in the future. We will also verify with each vendor and have a form filled out stating that they are not suspended or debarred. Cannelton management will establish a proper system of internal controls including policies and procedures related to risk assessment and monitoring activities within the federal program. Anticipated Completion Date: The School will ensure proper procurement methods are followed and that vendors are properly checked for suspension and debarment by December 2025. The additional controls will be implemented by August 2025.

OFB’s View on Finding: OFB acknowledges the finding and agrees with the auditors' assessment Responsible Party: Katie Kenton, Interim Co-Director of Finance (Strategic Finance); Nan Wang, Interim Co-Director of Finance (Operational Finance); Camille Lamothe, Senior Risk Assessment Coordinator Corrective Action Plan: Oregon Food Bank finalized and implemented a procurement policy and a specific procurement policy for purchases made with federal funds, aligned with federal procurement standards and effective October 2024. Internal controls will be established to ensure adherence to the policy, and procedures will require retaining documentation of the procurement process to demonstrate compliance. These improvements will enhance transparency, strengthen accountability, and reduce compliance risk, ensuring a more efficient and well-documented procurement process that supports the organization’s long-term financial integrity and operational effectiveness. The anticipated completion date is June 30, 2026.

University System Response/Corrective Action Plan Regarding the finding that no documentation was provided to ensure the proper procurement was completed for the purchase of a software license for $116,431. The University of North Dakota agrees, the software license was signed by an individual without authority. The individual responsible is no longer in a departmental administrative position at the University of North Dakota. The University of North Dakota has implemented mandatory campus-wide Procurement training for all users with security roles in our procurement system, effective December 2024. Regarding the finding that two pieces of equipment were purchased totaling $100,440 and formal bidding was not competed. The University of North Dakota agrees; due to an error in completing the public notice posting, the relevant state bidders list was not notified of the procurement opportunity. The University of North Dakota notes that three bidders were contacted (simplified acquisition) but agree this does not meet the formal bidding requirements. The procurement officer responsible for the error has been retrained. The University of North Dakota also understands that the state's new public notice system, which should go live in May 2025, is anticipated to require/mandate the selection of a bidders for all future public notices. Contact Person: Tom Scrivener, CPO Anticipated Completion Date: Completed

University System Response/Corrective Action Plan Bismarck State College: Agree. On the published RFQ, Bismarck State College identified a selection committee composed of nine members with the registered engineer and registered architect listed as TBD, as these members had not yet been identified. The selection committee later downsized to seven members. Bismarck State College understands that an amendment to the RFQ should have been released. Four selection committee members evaluated the RFQ submittals, three from Bismarck State College and a licensed contractor. Bismarck State College understands that all seven members must be present during the initial review. Bismarck State College did have all seven members present, including a registered engineer and registered architect during the interviews and final decision when selecting the CMAR. Bismarck State College has reviewed the selection process and will adhere to ensure compliance for construction projects. Minot State University: Minot State agrees with the audit recommendation in that not all the proper steps were completed in the procurement of architect and Construction Management at Risk (CMaR) services and will ensure proper procedures are followed going forward. Upon review, Minot State is confident that all Hartnett Hall remodel project expenses are appropriate, allowable, and allocable to the project. University of North Dakota: Agree. The University of North Dakota's solicitation templates for A/E and CMAR have been moved to an electronic system effective 2023, and our templates were updated with the correct proposal criteria at that time. Contact Person: Bismarck State College: Sonya Koble – Chief Financial Officer Minot State University: Krista Lambrecht, VP for Administration & Finance University of North Dakota: Tom Scrivener, CPO Anticipated Completion Date: Bismarck State College: September 2024 Minot State University: Immediately University of North Dakota: Completed.

Contact Person Neil Breidenbach Planned Corrective Action The District will create and approve a procurement policy that adheres to state and local regulations as well as 2 CFR Part 200.317 through 200.327. Planned Completion Date December 31, 2025.

FINDING 2024-003 Finding Subject: Summary of Finding: Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Education Federal Programs: Special Education Grants to States; COVID-19 - Special Education Grants to States; Special Education Preschool Grants; COVID-19 - Special Education Preschool Grants Assistance Listings Numbers: 84.027; 84.173 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 22611-042-ARP; 22619-042-ARP Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Education Compliance Requirement(s): Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Dawn Mason, Business Manager, DeKalb Co. Eastern CSD Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 260-868-2125 Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the findings. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The expenditures referenced in the finding were expended from the American Rescue Plan Special Education grant funds which were fully expended during the audit period. All future expenditures triggering procurement and suspension and debarment requirements will include implementing the following procurement policies. Reference Procurement Standards 2 CFR 200.318 Districts may not enter into contracts with entities that have been suspended or debarred from participating in contracts with federal funds. For contracts over $25,000, districts must verify a contractor is not excluded or disqualified. Contractors must be verified in one of three ways: 1. Checking the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.SAM.gov) 2. Collecting a certificate from that contractor. 3. Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that contractor. (Recommended) **Proper verification and documentation must be sent to the LEA for audit purposes. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 32 3326 CR 427, Waterloo, IN 46793 p 260-920-1011 f 260-837-7767 Steven E. Teders, Ed.S., Superintendent Loraine K. Vaughn, Ed.S., Assistant Superintendent Mark W. Rohm, Chief Financial and Operations Officer Personalized Pathways for Success Methods of Procurement Where specific EDGAR/UG thresholds apply, Districts must meet baseline requirements for procurement. If State or local rules have more restrictive thresholds, the most restrictive rule must be followed. Informal Procurement Procedures 1. Micro-purchase (0-$50,000) Dekalb County Eastern CSD has self-certified micro-purchases for up to $50,000 Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive quotes if the district considers the price to be reasonable. Quotes must be attached to the invoice/checks for proper documentation and retained by the LEA. 2. Small Purchase ($50,000 – $150,000) Three quotes are required prior to purchase unless the purchase comes from a “Sole Source” vendor. Small purchases are required to be ordered under a purchase order unless in an emergency. Additional quotes must be presented along with the purchase order prior to being approved by the LEA. Formal Procurement Procedures 1. Sealed Bids (above $150,000) Bids must be solicited from an adequate number of suppliers, providing them with sufficient response time prior to the opening of the bids. Proper advertisement and procedures must be followed per IC 5-22 and corresponding documentation must be presented to the LEA prior to any final approval or purchases being made. 2. Competitive Proposals (above $150,000) The Request for Proposal method is used for procurements in which factors other than cost play a significant role. Per IC 5-22-9, when a purchasing agent makes a written determination that the use of competitive sealed bidding is either not practicable or not advantageous to the governmental body, the purchasing agent may award a contract using this procedure instead of competitive sealed bidding. This provides a formal process for the procurement of goods and/or services for which price is not the sole factor in the selection of a vendor or vendors. Proper advertisement and procedures must be followed per IC 5-22 and corresponding documentation must be presented to the LEA prior to any final approval or purchases being made. Noncompetitive (Sole Source) All sole source procurements require adequate written justification and must be attached to the corresponding purchase order or payment. Anticipated Completion Date: All expenditures initiated after March 12, 2025

FINDING 2024-004 Finding Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Dawn Mason, Business Manager, DeKalb Co. Eastern CSD Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 260-868-2125 Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The expenditures referenced in the finding were expended from the American Rescue Plan Special Education grant funds which were fully expended during the audit period. All future expenditures triggering procurement and suspension and debarment requirements will include implementing the following procurement policies. Reference Procurement Standards 2 CFR 200.318 Districts may not enter into contracts with entities that have been suspended or debarred from participating in contracts with federal funds. For contracts over $25,000, districts must verify a contractor is not excluded or disqualified. Contractors must be verified in one of three ways: 1. Checking the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.SAM.gov) 2. Collecting a certificate from that contractor. 3. Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that contractor. (Recommended) **Proper verification and documentation must be sent to the LEA for audit purposes. Methods of Procurement Where specific EDGAR/UG thresholds apply, Districts must meet baseline requirements for procurement. If State or local rules have more restrictive thresholds, the most restrictive rule must be followed. Informal Procurement Procedures 1. Micro-purchase (0-$50,000) Dekalb County Eastern CSD has self-certified micro-purchases for up to $50,000 Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive quotes if the district considers the price to be reasonable. Quotes must be attached to the invoice/checks for proper documentation and retained by the LEA. 2. Small Purchase ($50,000 – $150,000) Three quotes are required prior to purchase unless the purchase comes from a “Sole Source” vendor. Small purchases are required to be ordered under a purchase order unless in an emergency. Additional quotes must be presented along with the purchase order prior to being approved by the LEA. Formal Procurement Procedures 1. Sealed Bids (above $150,000) Bids must be solicited from an adequate number of suppliers, providing them with sufficient response time prior to the opening of the bids. Proper advertisement and procedures must be followed per IC 5-22 and corresponding documentation must be presented to the LEA prior to any final approval or purchases being made. 2. Competitive Proposals (above $150,000) The Request for Proposal method is used for procurements in which factors other than cost play a significant role. Per IC 5-22-9, when a purchasing agent makes a written determination that the use of competitive sealed bidding is either not practicable or not advantageous to the governmental body, the purchasing agent may award a contract using this procedure instead of competitive sealed bidding. This provides a formal process for the procurement of goods and/or services for which price is not the sole factor in the selection of a vendor or vendors. Proper advertisement and procedures must be followed per IC 5-22 and corresponding documentation must be presented to the LEA prior to any final approval or purchases being made. Noncompetitive (Sole Source) All sole source procurements require adequate written justification and must be attached to the corresponding purchase order or payment. Anticipated Completion Date: All expenditures initiated after March 12, 2025

Context: The School Corporation is a member of the Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative (Cooperative). During fiscal years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, the Cooperative operated the special education program and spent the federal money on behalf of all its members. As the grant agreement was between the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. Description of Corrective Action Plan: School Corporation will reach out to the Cooperative to discuss internal controls over procurement, and suspension and debarment and request annual listing of vendors exceeding federal and state procurement thresholds to ensure Cooperative adheres to regulations and established procurement policy and request that procurement policies are written, and all procurements are fully documented based upon the applicable federal and state standards Anticipated Completion Date: The School Corporation will implement the actions noted above quarterly to ensure proper internal controls are in place. The treasurer will request this information starting in April of 2025 for the first quarter of the calendar year.

Finding 2024-002 Finding Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Beverly Hindes Contact Phone Number: 219-996-4771 x128 Views of Responsible Officials: We agree with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The Treasurer will ensure compliance with the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment requirement. Anticipated Completion Date: March 3, 2025

FINDING 2024-002 Finding Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Kyle Zahn & Jack Lazar Contact Phone Number and Email Address: (765) 883-5576 kzahn@western.k12.in.us jlazar@western.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: At a coming leadership meeting the Finance Director will review procurement rules and procedures with the leadership team. Additionally, the Director of Finance and Food Service Director will conduct an audit of the vendors used for the Child Nutrition Cluster and revise as necessary current systems for identifying vendors who exceed $50,000 during a school year. Anticipated Completion Date: March 31, 2025

FINDING 2024‐005 Finding Subject: Special education Cluster (IDEA) ‐ Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Summary of Finding: When the value of the procurement for property or services are within the small purchase threshold, or a lower threshold established by a nonfederal entity, quotes and a contract are required. The small purchase threshold is between $10,000 and $150,000 however the threshold between $10,000 and $50,000 require quotes from an adequate number of qualified sources. Indiana Code 5‐22‐8 has more restrictive requirements for the small purchase threshold between $50,000 and $150,000, which require three quotes and a contract to be awarded. The Cooperative had five vendors which fell within the small purchase threshold and all five vendors were tested. The Cooperative did not obtain quotes or competitive proposals, nor was a circumstance met that would have allowed for a noncompetitive procurement for the purchases. Three vendors paid from the grant funds were identified as being covered transactions during the audit period. All three vendors, provided goods or services which equaled or exceeded $25,000 and were selected for testing. For all three vendors, the Cooperative did not verify the vendors’ suspension and debarment status prior to payment. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Tim Scott Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 574‐654‐7273 tscott@npusc.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: Due to several changes in personnel in the Special Education office, obtaining quotes and checking SAMS.gov was an oversight. The Special Ed Administrative Assistant and/or the Special Ed Director is now making sure these things are complete before a purchase order is entered or services are rendered. A copy of SAMS.gov and the quote are attached to the purchase order. Anticipated Completion Date: October 2024