Purchasing Supervision

The chief financial officer will serve as the district's purchasing officer or will designate a purchasing officer. The purchasing officer will supervise district purchases of products and services and may authorize purchases on behalf of the district that comply with the Board-adopted budget and this policy. The superintendent, in consultation with the purchasing officer, shall develop procedures to implement this policy in a manner that will meet the district's needs while protecting the district's resources. These procedures will comply with all applicable laws and will centralize and provide oversight of all purchasing decisions.

Requests for equipment, materials, books, supplies, reimbursement claims, and subsidiary accounts shall first be placed on requisition forms. Approval shall then be made through the principal to the chief financial officer. If the expenditures are approved by the chief financial officer, a purchase order will be forthcoming to cover only items approved.

The purchase of supplies or expenditures of any organization will be approved by the organization sponsor, the designated officers, principal and assistant superintendents. All purchases must be made on proper purchase orders or preapproved request for payment vouchers. The school will not authorize payment of any other purchases. Unauthorized purchases will become the personal responsibility of the individual making the purchase.

Competitive Purchasing

District staff will research all purchases and compare prices prior to making decisions regarding the expenditure of district funds unless a purchase is covered by an exception pursuant to this policy. Employees are expected to contact multiple providers before making a decision regarding purchases under $3,500. Purchases of $3,500 or more will be competitively bid, and sealed bids will be required for purchases that may exceed $50,000.

The district will select the lowest or best qualifying bid as defined in Policy 7210. The district reserves the right to waive minor technical defects in a bid, reject any and all bids, reject any part of a bid, advertise for new bids, or make the purchase on the open market if the product or service can be obtained at a better price.

The district will award contracts only to responsible contractors possessing the ability to perform successfully under the terms and conditions detailed by the district. Among other factors detailed in the bid specifications, consideration will be given to such matters as contractor integrity, compliance with public policy, record of past performance, and financial and technical resources.

When the purchasing officer determines that it is in the best interest of the district, products or services may be purchased by competitive negotiations or proposals rather than competitive bids. Likewise, the superintendent, in consultation with the purchasing officer, is directed to create procedures that allow the district to benefit from cooperative purchasing and address unusual situations such as purchasing when there is a single feasible source for the purchase. The superintendent is also directed to create a process whereby authorized providers are selected for frequent purchases, while still monitoring the competitiveness of these providers.

Emergency Situations

By law, the superintendent may waive the requirement for competitive bids or proposals when he or she determines that there exists a threat to life, property, public health or public safety or when immediate expenditure is necessary to protect against further loss of or damage to property or prevent or minimize a serious disruption in services. Emergency purchases shall be made with as much competition as is practical under the circumstances and only to the extent necessary to alleviate the emergency.

Confidentiality

Sealed bids and related documents will be kept confidential until bids are opened. District staff will not disclose offers, bids or price quotations to competitors except as necessary to conduct negotiations beneficial to the district or as required by law. All contract negotiations and related documents are considered closed until a contract is executed or all proposals are rejected.

Credit and Purchasing Cards

Authorized district employees and Board members may use credit cards or purchasing cards issued to the district to make purchases for the district or pay for reasonable travel expenses incurred when performing official duties. Employees and Board members will not use these cards to circumvent the bidding and purchasing requirements established by law and Board policy. All purchases made using district cards must be attributed to the appropriate budget code and must conform to the Board-adopted budget.

The district will use purchasing cards instead of credit cards to the extent feasible. Unless otherwise authorized by the Board, only the superintendent and the purchasing officer will have access to a district credit card, and the Board will set the amounts that may be charged to those cards.

The Board or designee will approve which employee positions will be issued district purchasing cards and the limitations on the cards. The superintendent, in consultation with the purchasing officer, will annually review and revise the list of persons receiving district cards and the limitations on those cards. The annual review will ensure that only the employees who appropriately utilize the cards have access to them, and that the limitations on the cards do not exceed the amounts of the projected expenditures to be made with the cards. The Board will annually approve all modifications prior to implementation.

The Board may authorize the issuance of purchasing cards to Board members in the same manner that they are issued to employees. Board members who choose to use a district purchasing card are subject to the same policies and procedures as district employees. The superintendent is directed to notify the Board president if any Board member fails to follow district policies and procedures regarding purchasing card usage, and the Board member's usage may be temporarily suspended by the Board president until the issue is presented to the full Board. If the Board member in question is the president, or if the president is not available, the vice president will act as president in the matter.

Any employee or Board member using a district card shall sign a card usage agreement and will receive training on applicable procedures for card use. District employees and Board members issued a card must provide documentation, such as receipts and applicable budget codes, justifying expenditures. The purchasing officer will examine all documentation prior to payment and will notify the superintendent or designee immediately if any purchase was made in violation of law or district policies or procedures.

All employees and Board members issued a district card must take all reasonable measures to protect the cards against damage, loss, theft, or misuse. Any damage, loss, theft, or misuse of the card must be reported to the superintendent immediately. No person may use the card other than the authorized employee or Board member to whom the card was issued. District employees and Board members will surrender all cards upon completion of their employment or term with the district or upon demand by the district.

Prohibited Activity and Reporting Requirements

The district expects all staff members to comply with the letter and intent of all district policies and procedures regarding purchasing. Under no circumstances may employees use district funds to make unauthorized or personal purchases. Staff members may not artificially divide purchases to avoid bidding requirements or design bid specifications to favor a particular provider.

All district employees must report suspected fraud, theft, or misuse of district funds to the superintendent or purchasing officer immediately. District employees may be disciplined or terminated from employment for failing to follow Board policy or district procedures and for any misuse of district resources, including district credit and purchasing cards.

The superintendent or purchasing officer will contact law enforcement and file a report or sign a complaint on behalf of the district in situations where a crime may have occurred.