August 9, 2019

To our partners, colleagues, past and present Parent Trust grantees, and friends,

The State Education Resource Center and the Connecticut Parent Information and Resource Center (SERC/CT PIRC) has administered the Parent Trust Fund since 2010. During this time, the Fund has experienced a range of fiscal circumstances: from being fully funded, with matching funds from the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, to uncertainty whether it would be part of the legislative budget at all. Throughout these fiscal challenges, the advocacy and dedication of so many civic warriors have been clear and why the funding, although reduced, continues to exist. However, with this significant reduction of funds and with our commitment to ensure that the funding goes directly to the communities, SERC/CT PIRC, in collaboration with our CT State Department of Education (CSDE) partners, has made the decision to transfer the administration of the Fund to CSDE.

The decision was not made lightly, since SERC/CT PIRC has developed great collaborative partnerships with so many grantees and amazing Parent Leadership Programs across the state. It has been an honor to serve the state with this work that has empowered countless parents through PLTI, Parent SEE, PEP and other parent leadership training programs.

Should you have any questions regarding the transition, please contact Nicole Vitale at 860-632- 1485, ext. 234. Otherwise, your new contact, Judy Carson at CSDE, will conduct all future correspondence.

Thank you for your support of the Parent Trust Fund program and the parents of Connecticut.

Sincerely,

Ingrid M. Canady
Executive Director

Download a copy of this announcement.

The State Education Resource Center (SERC) is seeking submission of written qualifications from individuals with the capacity to provide professional learning services on a variety of topics. The purpose of this request for qualifications (RFQ) is to create a pool of potential independent contractors to work with local education agencies (LEAs) and statewide groups on behalf of SERC.

Applications will be scored on a rubric, and individuals may be invited to a further interview as part of the selection process. Please read on for more information.

Request for Qualifications Document

SERC Independent Contractor RFQ July 2019

RFQ Timeline

During the period from the posting of this Request for Qualifications and until a contract is awarded, you shall not contact any employee of SERC for additional information except in writing directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It is your responsibility to check for updated information online.

RFQ Submission Form

Instructions
Before visiting the RFQ Submission Form, please ensure that you have completed all documents outlined in Response Requirements (page 6) of the RFQ document above. Documents should be saved as separate Portable Document Format (PDF ) files.

RFQ Submission Form

Contact Information

Direct all correspondence to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Description:
The State Education Resource Center (“SERC”) is seeking Proposals from qualified public accounting firms to perform certain audit functions for all or part of fiscal years 2019, 2020 and 2021. These functions shall include, but are not limited to:

1. Audit of annual financial statements prepared by SERC, beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019
2. Federal Single Audit beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019
3. State Single Audit beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019

This engagement will begin immediately following (or as soon as practicable after) the awarding of this contract.

Minimum Qualifications:

A CPA firm with experience handling Quasi-Public Financial Statement Audits; in addition to State and Federal Single Audits.

Proposal Submission Deadline:
Noon, August 30, 2019

Contact Person:
Holly C. King, Contracts Manager This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
State Education Resource Center (SERC)
100 Roscommon Drive, Suite 110, Middletown, CT 06457

Please Note: The deadline for submitting questions is Thursday, August 15, 2019. Responses will be posted on this web page, and at the State Contracting Portal website on Monday, August 19, 2019.

RFQ Documents

For complete details and requirements, download the full RFP Document here.

Amendment #1: Regarding submission of questions related to the RFQ.

Received Questions and Answers

Who prepares the annual statements? Management? The CPA firm?
A combination: Management prepares draft financial statements (Balance Sheet and Statement of Revenue and Expense) CPA Firm prepares Cash Flow Statement, footnotes and supplemental reports

What accounting system does the Center utilize?
MIP

Is the year end trial balance that agrees to the financial statements available for review?
Yes

Were there any adjusting entries proposed/recorded by the CPA firm?
Yes

Was a management letter issued and if so, is it available for review?
No Management Letter was issued.

Is there an audit committee? Was there a presentation by the CPA firm to the audit committee? Board?
There is no Audit Committee but there is a Finance Committee.
There has not been a presentation to the Board/Committee previously but SERC would like to implement this going forward.

Is the required communications presented available for review?
Yes

Please provide a timeline for the audit engagement….was there planning performed prior to year-end? Also, understanding that this year’s audit engagement will begin later than usual, what is the preferred timeline with future audit engagements?
The timeline for this year’s audit is for an immediate (as soon as possible) start after firm is selected with a target completion date of December 1st. Preferred timeline is for September 1 start date with Oct 31st completion date.

Was any of the fieldwork performed remotely, or all on site? How many days were the auditors on site?
There was a combination of remote and on site.
The auditors were on-site for approximately 3 days in total.

How long as the current CPA firm been auditing the Center?
3 years

If available, what were the fees charged for the audit engagement?
We choose not to disclose current fees.

Does the audit also include the Foundation? Is there a reason that the Foundation is not included within the Center’s financial statements?
No the audit does not include the Foundation and has been the case since inception.