Audit Services

Wickenburg Unified School District #9 in Maricopa County, Arizona is soliciting proposals through Request for Proposals (RFP) #26-39-30 for comprehensive annual financial audit services. The District seeks a qualified Certified Public Accountant or Public Accounting firm to conduct annual financial audits for fiscal years ending June 30, 2026 through June 30, 2030, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted auditing standards, Government Auditing Standards, and the Uniform Guidance. Key deliverables include preliminary audit work scheduled for July 2026 and final audit reports due by December 31 of each fiscal year, with completion of the USFR Compliance Questionnaire. The District, which maintains approximately 963 students across five schools and budgets approximately $10.7 million in expenditures, expended $1,274,510.50 in federal and state funds in fiscal year 2022-2023 and $1,658,932.10 in fiscal year 2023-2024, triggering Single Audit requirements under the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996. Mandatory contractor qualifications include current CPA licensing, independence per Government Auditing Standards, completion of external quality control review within the preceding three years, and continuing education requirements of 80 hours per two-year period with at least 24 hours in government auditing. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Bonfire portal no later than February 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM MST, with a virtual public opening occurring immediately following the deadline via Microsoft Teams. Written inquiries regarding the solicitation must be submitted through the Bonfire portal by February 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM MST, and contract award is anticipated for approval at the April 2026 Governing Board meeting.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular organization types or disadvantaged enterprises. The most recent audit contractor was CWDL, which conducted the fiscal year 2023-2024 audit and provided a qualified opinion with no major findings at a cost of approximately $28,500. The contract term is for one year commencing July 1, 2026 and ending March 31, 2031, with options to renew for up to four additional one-year periods, not to exceed five years total. Audit fees will be fixed-price with pricing remaining firm for the contract term and subject to review only after one year of performance. Offerors must provide comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability ($2,000,000 General Aggregate), Professional Liability ($2,000,000 per claim and annual aggregate), and Workers' Compensation with statutory limits. The District will withhold the final ten percent of the annual contract amount until all written reports are accepted in final form, and a one percent fee reduction applies for each week reports are delivered after March 31, indicating that the anticipated budget range is in the range of $28,500 to $30,000 annually based on the prior audit cost.