Accounting Services

The vendor is required to provide financial audit in addition to completing the end of the year audit, as required.
1. Historical financial analysis (fy2019–fy2025)
•    Review of historical funding by towns, state, and district
•    Expenditure trend review by major category.
•    Use of one-time funds; recurring vs. pandemic-era grants. 
•    Certified excess and deficiency (E&D) balance history.
•    Variance analysis: original budgets vs. actuals; prior projection accuracy
2. Programs and contract cost drivers
•    Special education (sped): in-district vs. out-of-district placements; tuition and related transportation costs; drivers of growth; oversight mechanisms and alignment with ma best practices.
•    Transportation contracts: structure, procurement, routing and utilization, performance standards, escalation terms, and fiscal impact on both general ed and sped.
•    Labor and compensation (teachers and staff): salary schedules, steps, lanes, longevity, stipends and extra duty; comparison to regional benchmarks; modeling of contract variables and their long-term budget impact
•    Health insurance: plan design, enrollment mix, contribution strategy, and trend analysis; explain why the school’s increase outpaced the town’s last year and recommend options to control growth.
3. Capital funds and projects
•    Receipts and expenditures of all school capital funds since fy2019
•    Project list with status; budget-to-actual comparisons; change orders.
•    Compliance with funding authorizations and procurement requirements; controls over capital payables and reimbursements.
4. Projections and tools
•    Prepare multi-scenario projections for the next 3–5 years, incorporating:  enrollment, sped placement mix, transportation rates, labor contracts, health insurance trend, grant sunsets, and capital and debt impacts.
5. Findings, benchmarks and recommendations
•    Identify the factors driving cost increases and any control gaps.
•    Provide prioritized recommendations (policy, process) with estimated fiscal effects and implementation timeline.

- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: November 7, 2025