Documents › Board of Education, 2026-02-12

correspondence 3 pages

Robert S. Abrams (1926-2014) Marianne E. Van Duyne, CPA Alexandria M. Battaglia, CPA Brendan Nelson, CPA Christopher Schneider, CPA ISLANDIA: 3033 EXPRESS DRIVE NORTH, SUITE 100 • ISLANDIA, NY 11749 WHITE PLAINS: 50 MAIN STREET, SUITE 1000 • WHITE PLAINS, NY 10606 PHONE: (631) 234-4444 • FAX: (631) 234-4234 ------------------------------------------- -- www.rsabrams.com -------------------- --------------------- January 30, 2026 VIA EMAIL Board of Education President Ms. Denise Harrington-Cohen Assistant Superintendent for Business Croton-Harmon Union Free School District 10 Gerstein Street Croton-on-Hudson, New York 10520 We are pleased to confirm our understanding of the terms and conditions of our engagement and the nature and limitations of the services we will provide to the Croton- Harmon Union Free School District (the “District”) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. We will apply certain procedures to selected records and transactions of the District for the objective of carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the Internal Auditor as follows:  Perform an annual risk assessment update of the District’s operations.  Upon request by the District, review and perform testing for one selected internal control system.  Interview key employees and document specific procedures regarding the internal control system;  Make an independent selection of key controls, and test a sample for appropriateness and effectiveness;  Test the design and operating effectiveness of these internal controls to detect deficiencies;  Perform procedures designed to identify unusual and/or questionable transactions; and  Monitor the internal controls of the District.  Review any recommendations regarding the internal controls with business office personnel and then report the findings to the Board of Education. Croton-Harmon Union Free School District Page 2  Provide reports to the District’s Board of Education which will include:  An analysis of significant risk assessment findings;  An analysis of each internal control system tested; and  Recommendations for strengthening controls and reducing identified risks. The purpose of our engagement is to assist you in improving the process by which you monitor and manage the internal controls and operations of your District. However, it is ultimately your responsibility to assess the adequacy of your internal control system. Our engagement will not include a detailed examination of all transactions and cannot be relied on to disclose errors, irregularities, or illegal acts, including fraud or defalcations that may exist. However, we will inform you of any such matters that come to our attention. In performing our engagement, we will be relying on the accuracy and reliability of information provided by District personnel. We will not audit, examine, or review the information. Please also note that our engagement cannot be relied on to disclose errors, fraud, or other noncompliance with laws and regulations that may exist. The procedures we perform in our engagement will be heavily influenced by the representations that we receive from District personnel. Accordingly, false representations could cause incorrect risks to be identified or could cause some risks to go unidentified. You, therefore, agree to indemnify and hold us harmless for any liability and all reasonable costs (including legal fees) that we may incur in connection with claims based upon our failure to identify critical business risks or recommend appropriate risk management and internal control procedures resulting from known false representations made to us by any District personnel. You agree to assume all management responsibilities for any internal audit services we provide; oversee the services by designating an individual, preferably from senior management, who possesses suitable skill, knowledge, or experience; evaluate the adequacy and results of the services; and accept responsibility for them. The reports are intended solely for the information and use of the District’s management and Board of Education and are not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than those specified parties. Marianne E. Van Duyne, CPA, and Christopher Schneider, CPA are the engagement partners and are responsible for supervising the engagement and signing the report or authorizing another individual to sign it. We estimate that our fees for the Risk Assessment Update will not exceed $13,400 and each internal control cycle tested will not exceed $11,600 for the period July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Croton-Harmon Union Free School District Page 3 The fee estimate is based on anticipated cooperation from your personnel and the assumption that unexpected circumstances will not be encountered during the engagement. If significant additional time is necessary, we will discuss it with you and arrive at a new fee estimate before we incur the additional costs. Our invoices for these fees will be rendered each month as work progresses and are payable on presentation. If we elect to terminate our services for nonpayment, our engagement will be deemed to have been completed upon written notification of termination even if we have not completed our report. You will be obligated to compensate us for all time expended and to reimburse us for all out-of-pocket expenditures through the date of termination. R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP agrees that all information obtained in connection with the services provided for in this letter of engagement is deemed confidential information. R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP, its employees and agents shall not use, publish, discuss or communicate the contents of such information, directly or indirectly, with third parties, except as required under the terms of engagement or as otherwise required by law. We appreciate the opportunity to assist you and believe this letter accurately summarizes the significant terms of our engagement. If you have any questions, please let us know. If you agree with the terms of our engagement as described in this letter, please sign the enclosed copy and return it to us. If the need for additional procedures arises, our agreement with you will need to be revised. It is customary for us to enumerate these revisions in an addendum to this letter. If additional specified parties of the report are added, we will require that they acknowledge in writing their responsibility for the sufficiency of procedures. Very truly yours, R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP RESPONSE: This letter correctly sets forth the understanding of the District: Board of Education President: _________________________________________ Date: _____________________________ Assistant Superintendent for Business:___________________________________ Date:_____________________________