ESBD_485479_1769626787635_RFQ26-1 Audit Services.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION (RFQ) No. 26-1

Paris Junior College Audit Services

SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

This schedule may be modified or changed at the sole discretion of PJC.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Thad Turman, Director of Purchasing, Business Services

Paris Junior College

2400 Clarksville St.

Paris, Texas 75460

Office: 903-782-1203

E-Mail: tturman@parisjc.edu

ACTION DATE

Issue RFQ 01/28/2026

Question and/or Clarifications Deadline 02/10/2026

Issuance of final addendum, if necessary. 02/12/2026

Submit all qualifications before 2pm CST to PJC Business Office/hardcopy or email. 02/23/2026

Recommendation of award and approval to enter into contract.

Award will be announced after approval received. 03/20/2026 mailto:kcarlton@parisjc.edu

SCOPE OF WORK

Paris Junior College (PJC) is soliciting sealed qualification statements from qualified firms to provide annual financial audit services. All work must be performed in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, codes, and professional standards.

Paris Junior College is a public junior college district organized under Chapter 130 of the Texas Education Code and is exempt from state taxation in Texas.

This Scope of Work outlines the requirements for the annual financial and compliance audits of PJC.

A. General Information

1. Institution Overview Paris Junior College operates a central administration with centralized accounting, data processing, purchasing, and other technical support services serving three (3) campus locations.

2. Personnel and Enrollment PJC employs approximately 215 full-time employees and 107 part-time employees and enrolls approximately 5000 students.

3. Financial Systems PJC utilizes the Jenzabar Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to integrate student and financial data. The Paris Junior College Foundation utilizes Blackbaud.

4. Fiscal Year and Reporting Deadlines PJC’s fiscal year ends on August 31.

o A draft audit report shall be provided to the Chief Financial Officer and the Finance/Audit Committee no later than December 9.

o The final audit report shall be presented to the PJC Board of Trustees by December 16.

o The completed audit must be filed with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) by December 31.

5. Audit Standards and Compliance Requirements Audits of major federal and state programs shall be conducted in accordance with:

o Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States;

o Title 2 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards); and o The State of Texas Single Audit Circular.

The audit for PJC’s fiscal year ending August 31 shall be completed with the audit report due no later than December 16.

B. Financial Auditor Responsibilities

1. The awarded firm shall express an opinion on the fair presentation of the financial statements of Paris Junior College (PJC) and the Paris Junior College Foundation in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

2. The awarded firm shall perform detailed program or grant audits when specifically requested by a grantor agency.

3. The awarded firm shall provide print-ready financial statements, including one (1) PDF file and twenty (20) bound, high-quality copies of the Annual Financial Report (AFR), to PJC no later than December 16.

4. The awarded firm shall compile and prepare all financial statements and schedules included in the financial section of the AFR, with assistance as required from PJC staff.

5. The awarded firm shall assist PJC staff, as needed, with the identification, calculation, and evaluation of journal entries and disclosures related to GASB Statements No. 68 and 75, GASB Statements No. 87 and 96, and all related notes to the financial statements.

6. The Schedule of Expenditures of Federal and State Awards and the related auditor’s reports, including reports on internal control and compliance, shall be issued as part of the AFR, as applicable.

7. The awarded firm shall submit a comprehensive list of required client-prepared schedules to PJC’s Controller on or around June 1 of each fiscal year.

8. The awarded firm is not required to audit or express an opinion on the statistical section of the report.

9. Interim fieldwork shall be conducted within a timeframe mutually agreed upon by the awarded firm and PJC, generally in late July, based on June 30 interim financial statements. Final fieldwork shall be conducted within a mutually agreed-upon timeframe, typically from mid-October through November, based on August 31 year-end financial statements. Weekly progress meetings shall be scheduled during both interim and final fieldwork periods.

10. The awarded firm must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience conducting audits of higher education institutions, with preference given to firms experienced in auditing community colleges.

11. The awarded firm must be a properly licensed certified public accounting firm in good standing with the Texas Board of Public Accountancy and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, with no history of disciplinary action.

12. The awarded firm shall meet all independence requirements promulgated by the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

C. Paris Junior College Responsibilities

1. PJC shall prepare the introductory and statistical sections of the Annual Financial Report (AFR).

2. PJC shall prepare the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal and State Awards.

3. PJC’s Controller and accounting staff shall assist with audit-related activities.

D. Special Requirements

1. All contractors, subcontractors, or firm representatives working on any Paris Junior College (PJC) property or at any PJC facility shall always wear clearly visible identification. Acceptable identification includes a name tag, badge, embroidered or labeled uniform shirt, or other personal or company-issued identification. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in removal from campus until compliance is achieved.

2. PJC’s Controller shall make arrangements for reasonable workspace and internet access for the audit firm’s engagement team.

E. Contract Term

The contract term for a contract awarded from this solicitation will be one (1) year with renewal options of four (4) one-year time periods.

F. Evaluation Criteria

An Evaluation Committee will review all qualification statements according to the criteria stated herein. The committee’s evaluations will be based on all available information, including qualification statements, reports, discussions, reference checks, and other appropriate review.

Proposals will be evaluated using a 1–5 scoring scale for each criterion, multiplied by the assigned weight to determine total points.

Scoring Scale

• 5 – Excellent: Exceeds requirements in a clearly beneficial way

• 4 – Very Good: Fully meets requirements with strengths

• 3 – Satisfactory: Meets requirements adequately

• 2 – Marginal: Partially meets requirements

• 1 – Unsatisfactory: Does not meet requirement

Evaluation Section Weight (%) Section 1: Qualifications and Experience of Firm and Personnel 40% Section 2: Project Understanding, Approach, and Management 25% Section 3: Transition and Other Audit Services 20% Section 4: References 15% Total 100%

The evaluation committee will independently score each proposal. Final scores will be calculated by multiplying the rating (1–5) by the corresponding weight percentage for each section.

Paris Junior College (PJC)’s Evaluation Committee will evaluate and rank each submittal based on the criteria detailed above.

G. Qualification Statement Response Requirements

All qualification statements must be submitted by mail to:

Paris Junior College (PJC) Attn: Thad Turman 2400 Clarksville St.

Paris, TX 75460

These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

Written Response:

The written response shall be a single document with a maximum of thirty (30) pages (numbered 1-30). Sections must be in order and clearly labeled as outlined below.

Include a coversheet that includes your firm’s name, representative, and contact information. The coversheet does not count toward the 30-page limit.

a. Qualifications and Experience of Firm and Personnel

1. Include a description of the firm, including the firm’s history and size. Provide information regarding how long the proposer has provided the services requested in this RFQ.

2. Describe the firm’s experience, expertise, and capabilities with respect to planning, structuring, and execution of financial audit services similar to those that Paris Junior College (PJC) may require.

3. Describe previous experience with Paris Junior College (PJC) or other public entities and/or colleges. Include the number of public entities and/or college accounts in the firm’s current client base. Indicate whether the firm performed satisfactorily in accordance with the terms and conditions of the most recent contract award. Disclose any discrepancies, issues, or complaints reported concerning the firm’s performance.

4. Describe any nonprofit experience, particularly experience with higher education institutions.

5. Describe any disciplinary action imposed on the local office by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), a state board, state society, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or any other regulatory agency during the past five (5) years.

6. Describe the results of the firm’s and the local office’s most recent peer review and its current status under the AICPA peer review program.

7. Provide the financial rating of the firm and any supporting documentation, such as a Dun & Bradstreet analysis, demonstrating the financial stability of the firm.

8. Describe the firm’s experience with the financial reporting requirements of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Describe the firm’s capabilities and commitment to providing management services in the field of higher education, including any services unique to this field. Identify specific expertise that would be beneficial in developing sound management practices and internal controls for PJC.

9. Identify major clients and any community colleges gained or lost by the local office within the past three (3) years and explain the reasons for those changes.

10. Describe the firm’s knowledge and experience with federal financial aid reviews conducted in accordance with Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States; federal awards as required by Title 2 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards);

and state awards as required by the State of Texas Single Audit Circular.

11. Provide information regarding resources the firm will make available to PJC in areas such as internal control, systems and data processing, budget management, cash management, risk management, grants management, facilities management, personnel management, communications, and state and federal compliance.

12. Describe the training opportunities the firm offers to Paris Junior College (PJC) staff.

13. Provide a proposed project staffing plan for PJC, including brief résumés for each key team member detailing prior financial audit experience and community college experience.

14. What is the size of the office that would perform the audit, i.e. partners, staff, clients served? Identify the partners, managers, and supervisors who would be responsible for the audit. What has been the audit staff turnover experience in the office indicated above? What assurance can be given that staff assigned will have experience at comparable institutions or at least in higher education, public sector or fund accounting experience? What is your firm’s policy of staff and management rotation? Indicate how you will provide assurance of staff continuity.

15. How are continuing education requirements met for your staff and partners? Give specifics on how they relate to higher education, single audit, internal controls, etc. Identify how members of the engagement team satisfied the continuing professional education hours required by Government Auditing Standards.

b. Project Understanding, Approach, and Management

1. Include your management and technical approach, as well as a brief description of all the relevant services offered by your firm. Include details pertaining to your firm’s approach and capabilities as are relevant to this request for qualifications.

2. Provide information on your firm’s audit approach, tools and techniques.

Include firm’s ability and experience to assist Paris Junior College (PJC) with preparation of the ACFR, in accordance with Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) rules, THECB reporting requirements and other applicable guidelines.

3. Provide information regarding the proposed time schedule for both interim and year-end. Indicate if it would be different in future years.

4. Identify your approach to the audit of automated systems. Would software packages used by your firm be available for PJC use? If yes, describe the software, opportunities for use by PJC and impact to PJC.

5. List any value-added services your company provides.

c. Transition and Other Audit Services

1. Indicate ways in which PJC’s resources might be used to contain audit costs.

2. Address the impact to PJC regarding the transition to a new financial audit firm, indicating the approach to be taken, time involved, etc.

3. What commitments will your firm make with respect to accessibility of the partners and managers assigned to our engagement to PJC’s senior officers and key financial employees?

4. Why is PJC important to your firm as a client?

d. Other services

1. Describe your process for receiving and tracking client-prepared schedules and supporting documentation.

2. What is your philosophy regarding the management letter content and use?

e. References

Include references for the following:

1. The proposer shall provide at least three (3) references on recent projects for which the proposer's company is currently providing or has provided the same type and level of service required in this RFQ within the past three years. Include the name, telephone number, and valid email address of a reference person who may be contacted for further information. It is highly preferable that these references are other colleges or public sector accounts comparable in size or larger.

2. All references will be contacted by email. Evaluations will be based on responses received from references. It is advisable to notify your references ahead of time that a reference will be requested by email.

f. List of Response Attachments:

Include the following documents:

1. Written Response

2. Conflict of Interest Form

H. ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS

The acronyms and definitions referenced in this solicitation are described in this attachment.

Acronym Definition AFR Annual Financial Report AICPA American Institute of Certified Public Accountants ACFR Annual Comprehensive Financial Report FASB Financial Accounting Standards Board GAAP Generally Accepted Accounting Principles GAS Government Auditing Standards GASB Governmental Accounting Standards Board GFOA Government Finance Officers Association NACUBO National Association of College and University Business Officers OGM Office of Grants Management OMB Office of Management and Budget SEC Security and Exchange Commission THECB Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board