Finding 1218753 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
I
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-06-25

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The school awarded contracts to two vendors without following the required competitive procurement process.
  • Impacted Requirements: This violates federal procurement rules under 2 CFR section 200.319, leading to non-compliance.
  • Recommended Follow-up: The school should establish procedures to ensure competitive procurement for all relevant contracts.

Finding Text

2025-002 U.S. Department of Education Passed-through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Special Education Cluster (IDEA) – ALN 84.027 & 84.173 Compliance Finding and Significant Deficiency in Internal Controls Over Compliance Criteria: Per 2 CFR section 200.319, procurements must provide for full and open competition. Condition: Two vendors were awarded a contract without a competitive procurement process. The school did not maintain any documentation in the files regarding why a competitive procurement process was not performed. Cause: The School relied on State procurement exemptions which do not apply to Federal procurements. Effect: The Town is not in compliance with Federal procurement requirements. Questioned Costs: $50,633, which represents the amounts charged to the grant for these two vendors. Repeat Finding from Prior Year: No. Recommendation: The School should implement procedures to perform competitive procurement procedures on all applicable contracts for goods and services. Views of Responsible Official: Management agrees with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding 2025-002 Condition: Two vendors were awarded a contract without a competitive procurement process. The school did not maintain any documentation in the files regarding why a competitive procurement process was not performed. Corrective Action Planned: Southbridge Public Schools is actively creating procedures for all procurements in compliance with Massachusetts General Laws and Federal Regulations. This procedure will be in place for any procurements utilizing federal grant funding. Anticipated Completion Date: July 31, 2026 Contact: Matthew Robidoux – Business Manager

Categories

Procurement, Suspension & Debarment Significant Deficiency

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1218740 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218741 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218742 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218743 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218744 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218745 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218746 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218747 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218748 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218749 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218750 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218751 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1218752 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
11.307 ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE $756,483
10.553 SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM $448,865
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $210,301
84.010 TITLE I GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES $170,113
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM $150,163
97.036 DISASTER GRANTS - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS) $102,221
84.287 TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS $80,838
81.128 ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM (EECBG) $68,519
84.424 STUDENT SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM $59,415
84.365 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION STATE GRANTS $38,068
20.939 SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL $35,896
84.027 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $35,000
10.559 SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN $32,725
16.922 EQUITABLE SHARING PROGRAM $27,374
10.558 CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM $25,989
14.228 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/STATE'S PROGRAM AND NON-ENTITLEMENT GRANTS IN HAWAII $20,465
10.727 INFLATION REDUCTION ACT URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM $18,774
20.614 NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) DISCRETIONARY SAFETY GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS $13,407
84.425 EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUND $10,000
97.042 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANTS $5,100
84.367 SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION STATE GRANTS (FORMERLY IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS) $2,479
93.889 NATIONAL BIOTERRORISM HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM $1,681
84.173 SPECIAL EDUCATION PRESCHOOL GRANTS $59