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PURCHASING
 
  I.  A Statement of Philosophy
 
A.  The function of the purchasing office is to serve the educational program by providing the necessary supplies, equipment, and services.
 
B.  The Board of Education declares its intention to purchase competitively, without prejudice or favoritism, and to seek maximum educational value for every dollar expended.
 
C.  The procedures for acquisition of services, equipment, and supplies are centralized in the business office, which functions under the supervision of a person designated by the Board as Purchasing Agent. All purchasing transactions are conducted through this office.
 
II.  Purchasing Policy
 
A.  The Assistant Superintendent for Business is appointed annually by the Board of Education to serve as Purchasing Agent. The Purchasing Agent shall be responsible for developing and administering the purchasing program of the school district.
 
B.  Competitive bids or quotations shall be solicited in connection with purchases pursuant to law. Contracts shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder complying with specifications and with other stipulated bidding conditions.
 
C.  The Purchasing Agent is authorized to issue purchase orders without prior approval of the Board of Education when formal bidding procedures are not required by law, and when budget appropriations are adequate to cover such obligations.
 
D.  All contracts which require public advertising and competitive bidding shall be awarded by approval of the Board of Education. The Purchasing Agent is authorized to open bids and record the same pursuant to law. Recommendations for the award of all such contracts shall be submitted to the Board of Education by the Superintendent of Schools.
 
E.  Opportunities shall be provided for all responsible suppliers to do business with the school district. Residence or place of business of local bidders may be a consideration only when bids or quotations on an item or service are identical as to price, quality, and other factors.
 
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F.  The Purchasing Agent shall develop and maintain lists of potential bidders for the various types of materials, equipment, and supplies. Such lists of bidders shall be used in the development of a mailing list for distribution of specifications and invitations to submit bids. Any supplier may be included in the list upon request.
 
G.  Goods and services which are not required by law to be procured by the district through competitive bidding will be procured in a manner which ensures the prudent and economical use of public monies, in the best interests of the taxpayers, to facilitate the acquisition of goods and services of maximum quality at the lowest possible cost under the circumstances, and to guard against favoritism, improvidence, extravagance, fraud, and corruption.
 
H.  Purchases shall be made through BOCES cooperative bidding, state contracts of the Office of General Services, county contracts, correctional institutions or agencies for the blind and severely disabled whenever such purchases are in the best interest of the school district or as pursuant to law.
 
I.  Items commonly used in the various schools or units thereof shall be standardized whenever consistent with educational goals and in the interests of efficiency and economy.
 
J.  Petty cash funds shall be established annually for each school building and for the central administrative office. Such funds shall be used for the payment of properly itemized bills of nominal amounts and under conditions calling for immediate payment. Allowances, responsibility, security, and accounting of petty cash funds shall be in accordance with the regulations of the Board of Education and the Commissioner of Education.
 
K.  The purchasing procedures employed shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the State of New York and Commissioner of Education.
 
L.  A statement of “General Conditions” as approved by the Board of Education shall be included with all specifications submitted to suppliers for their bids. These general conditions shall be incorporated in all contracts awarded for the purchase of materials, equipment, and supplies.
 
M.  The district’s purchasing activity will strive to meet the following objectives:
 
1.  to effectively supply all administrative units in the school system with needed materials, supplies, and contracted services;
 
 
 
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2.  to obtain materials, supplies, and contracted services at the lowest prices possible consistent with the quality and standards needed as determined by the purchasing agent in cooperation with the requisitioning authority. The educational welfare of the students is the foremost consideration in making any purchase;
 
3.  to ensure that all purchases fall within the framework of budgetary limitations and that they are consistent with the educational goals and programs of the district;
 
4.  to maintain an appropriate and comprehensive accounting and reporting system to record and document all purchasing transactions; and
 
5.  to ensure, through the use of proper internal controls, that loss and/or diversion of district property is prevented.
 
N.  No Board member, officer, or employee of this school district, or their families, shall be interested financially in any contract entered into by the Board of Education.
 
O.  The Superintendent with the assistance of the Purchasing Agent shall be responsible for the establishment and implementation of the procedures and standardized forms used in all purchasing related activities in the district. Such procedures shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the State of New York and the Commissioner of Education.
 
P.P.  Comments will be solicited from those administrators involved in the procurement process before enactment of the district’s policies regarding purchasing and from time to time thereafter. The policies must be adopted by Board action. All district policies regarding the procurement processes will be reviewed by the Board of Education annually.
 
Q.  The unintentional failure to fully comply with the provisions of Section 104.6 of the General Municipal Law of the district’s policies regarding procurement will not be grounds to void action taken or give rise to a course of action against the district or any officer or employee of the district.
 
Note:  Prior policies, Policy Manual, 3310(a)(b)(c), revised
 
 
Policy Adopted: March 12, 1997      Wayne Central School District