EXPENDITURES & REIMBURSEMENTS

Check out this how-to video on expending funds from the Student Activity Account. 

To make a purchase out of your school’s student activity account: 

• • • • • Confirm the company/venue is already an approved City Vendor by  looking them up in BAIS Financials or determine if the individual needs to be "hired" and paid through the City's payroll system. 

          • • • • If you have a question about whether a company/venue is an approved City Vendor or should be hired, please email Vendor.Questions@cityofboston.gov or call 617-635-4564

                • New vendors should register online (see step-by-step guidelines for registering online). 

        • Enter a requisition for student activities using the following information: 

Fund Number: 470

Account: Should be appropriate to the requisition. An example is account 52811 for a field trip. If unsure, see the account code list or contact BPS Purchasing. 

Program: An alpha entry matching the revenue breakdown of SOCAL, EVENT, FLDTR, CLUBS, STORE, ATHLT,  JROTC or SNDRY.

Class: An alphanumeric entry matching the revenue breakdown of: 0000 (all grades); BPSK0; BPSK1; BPSK2; BPS01; BPS02; BPS03; BPS04; BPS05; BPS06; BPS07; BPS08; BPS09; BPS10; BPS11; BPS12

Budget Reference: 0000

• • • • • Follow the standard purchasing guidelines outlined in the purchasing manual to complete the requisition and purchasing process. 

        • Please see the new Business Services Guide for explanations of the purchasing process, how-to videos, and contact information.

**If your school cancels an event, field trip, or other activity that you already have POs for, please remember to cancel those POs, so they don't remain open.**

Please note that this should only be done in very rare instances where circumstances are beyond your control. The requisition process must be used in almost all circumstances.

To request a reimbursement out of your school’s student activity account:

• • • • • Confirm the person is already properly hired or an approved City Vendor by looking them up in BAIS Financials.

          • • • • If you have a question about whether a person is hired or an approved City Vendor, or have questions with the online registration, please email Vendor.Questions@cityofboston.gov or call 617-635-4564

                • New vendors should register online (see step-by-step guidelines for registering online). 

                • To update an existing vendor account, follow these step-by-step instructions

        • Complete and submit the Non Order form with details of the expense, funding source, and amount per Superintendent’s Circular FIN-03 .              

          • • • • Need help filling out the Non Order form? Check out an example here.

        • Completed Non Order forms and receipts should be sent or dropped off to:

Boston Public Schools 

c/o Lisa Greaves 

2300 Washington Street 

Boston, MA 02119

Staff seeking reimbursement out of the Student Activity Account cannot receive reimbursement for tax on purchases. Please reach out to Anne Hoyt if you need a Sales Tax exempt form (ST-5). 

Reach out to Lisa Greaves or Bob Cass with any reimbursement questions. 

The BPS Finance Office recognizes there are some instances, such as the Prom, in which prepayment to vendors* is required before revenue for the student activity is deposited into the student activity account. Schools that need to prepay a vendor should contact Cynthia Beltre in Business Services at least 14 days prior to the prepayment deadline. 

*Note: Vendors must already be approved City of Boston vendors in order to qualify for this prepayment option.