Finding 1165125 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
I
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2025-12-17
Audit: 375424
Organization: Birmingham Public Schools (MI)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The School District failed to follow required procurement processes, including not conducting competitive bids for a vendor exceeding the federal threshold.
  • Impacted Requirements: Noncompliance with Uniform Guidance procurement rules and failure to verify vendor suspension or debarment status.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement controls to ensure compliance with procurement standards and maintain documentation for vendor verification before contract awards.

Finding Text

Assistance Listing, Federal Agency, and Program Name 84.027, 84.173, U.S. Department of Education, Special Education Cluster Federal Award Identification Number and Year 240450, 250450, 240460, and 250460 Pass through Entity Oakland County ISD Finding Type Material weakness and material noncompliance with laws and regulations Repeat Finding No Criteria The School District is required to have processes that comply with applicable procurement rules in the Uniform Guidance, including initial identification of those requirements and subsequent compliance per 2 CFR 200.317 through 200.327. Additionally, under Uniform Guidance (2 CFR §180.220), the School District is required to verify that the vendor they chose was not suspended or debarred Condition The School District's internal controls did not effectively identify the required formal solicitation. The School District did not utilize the appropriate competitive procurement methods and did not retain suspended or debarred verification documentation. Questioned Costs None If questioned costs are not determinable, description of why known questioned costs were undetermined or otherwise could not be reported N/A Identification of How Questioned Costs Were Computed N/A Context The School District has one vendor that represents all non payroll related expenditures charged to the grant. The School District was required to competitively bid out this contracted service during fiscal year 2025 as it exceeded the federal bid threshold. The School District did not bid the service and no documentation was maintained to support that the School District verified the vendor was not suspended or debarred. As of the audit testing date, the vendor was not suspended or debarred. Cause and Effect The School District accepted continued services with the current vendor, which was over the federal bid threshold, without conducting a formal bid process. The absence of a formal internal review of contracts over the bid threshold and the lack of review of suspended or debarred verification documentation, resulting in the School District being out of compliance for the two compliance requirements referenced. Recommendation The School District should institute controls to ensure that it is in compliance with both the procurement standards for competitive bids and the requirements related to suspension and debarment, including maintaining adequate related documentation. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Action Plan The School District will ensure that the proper procurement methods are adhered to, prior to executing future contracts. This includes also reviewing to ensure that vendors are not suspended or debarred, prior to awarding the contract. To accomplish this, the School District will use their grant budget process as a control for identifying the population of applicable expenditures that will be subject to procurement compliance requirements for federal programs.

Corrective Action Plan

Condition: The School District's internal controls did not effectively identify the required formal solicitation. The School District did not utilize the appropriate competitive procurement methods and did not retain suspended or debarred verification documentation. Planned Corrective Action: The School District will ensure that the proper procurement methods are adhered to, prior to executing future contracts. This includes also reviewing to ensure that vendors are not suspended or debarred, prior to awarding the contract. To accomplish this, the School District will use their grant budget process as a control for identifying the population of applicable expenditures that will be subject to procurement compliance requirements for federal programs. Contact person responsible for corrective action: Kyle Jen, Chief Financial and Operations Officer Anticipated Completion Date: 6/30/2026

Categories

Procurement, Suspension & Debarment

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1165122 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1165123 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1165124 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.027 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $2.05M
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM - CASH ASSISTANCE $412,480
84.010 TITLE I GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES $207,978
84.367 SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION STATE GRANTS (FORMERLY IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS) $189,287
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM - COMMODITIES $183,776
10.553 SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM - CASH ASSISTANCE $82,189
84.173 SPECIAL EDUCATION PRESCHOOL GRANTS $77,013
93.778 MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM $48,405
21.027 COVID-19 - CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $16,224
45.024 PROMOTION OF THE ARTS GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS $9,300
84.365 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION STATE GRANTS $3,703
84.424 STUDENT SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM $1,742