USD 428 Purchasing Policy

USD 428 PURCHASING POLICY -- LOCAL PURCHASING

In considering bids, the Board of Education has an obligation to transact business with firms with the unified school district. Special efforts must be made by the Board's designated purchasing agent to see that the before-mentioned firms wishing to bid have an opportunity to submit bids.

It is to be assumed that private enterprise is essentially competitive in its very nature and that local businesses should be able to bid as low as business firms located outside the USD. If merchandise is equal in quality and if service is equal in all respects, the Board's obligation to all taxpayers, rather than those desiring to conduct business within the district, requires the contract be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, regardless of location of the firm. To do otherwise would destroy the competitive nature of the market. The Board of Education shall be the sole judge of whether or not a bidder is responsible. In the purchase of materials, goods, wares, and services where it is not desirable to secure competitive bids because of noncompatibility, all reasonable attempts will be made to secure the goods and services locally. Included would be the services of an engineer, architect, attorney, auditor, and insurance agent.

All bids received will be considered. In instances where one or more sources supply office materials, supplies, non-professional services or equipment at the identical price (total net price), preference shall be given as follows.

First Preference: Local. Third Preference: Within the State of Kansas.

Second Preference: Regional. Fourth Preference: Outside the State of Kansas.

Employees of USD 428 are not permitted to make purchases for personal use through any fund of the unified school district, including the school activity fund.

K.S.A. 72-6760 is hereby amended to read as follows: 72-6760. (a) No expenditure involving an amount greater than $20,000 for construction, reconstruction, or remodeling or for the purchase of materials, goods or wares shall be made by the board of education or any school district except upon sealed proposals, and to the lowest responsible bidder. (b) The provisions of subsection (a) do not apply to expenditures for the purchase of: product required to be purchased under the provisions of K.S.A.75-3317 to 75-3322, inclusive, and amendments thereto; (2) educational materials directly related to curriculum and secured by copyright; (3) motor fuels required to provide or furnish transportation; and (4) perishable foods and foodstuffs required for operation of a school lunch program. (c) Whenever the board of education of any school district lets bids for the purchase of materials, goods or wares and bids are submitted by bidders domiciled within the school district and by bidders domiciled outside the school district and the low bid is submitted by a bidder domiciled outside the school district, the school district domiciliary which submitted the lowest bid may be deemed the preferred bidder and awarded the bid if: (1) the quality, suitability and usability of the materials, good or wares are equal; and (2) the amount of the bid of the school district domiciliary is not more than 1% greater than the amount of the low bid; and (3) the school district domiciliary agrees to meet the low bid by filing a written agreement to that effect within 72 hours after receiving notification of being deemed the preferred bidder. (d) The provisions of subjection (c) do not apply to expenditures for construction, reconstruction or remodeling.

Purchase orders will be issued for all purchase orders by the district. Exceptions would include emergency maintenance supplies costing fifty dollars ($50.00) or less. The Board of Education shall designate a purchasing agent for the unified school district.

The Board of Education has had a long-standing policy of purchasing goods and supplies for the operation of Unified School District 428, Great Bend.

According to the policy, the first preference in securing these materials is to purchase locally (defined in the policy as within the district of USD 428). During a typical year, the school district purchases from more than two hundred seventy (270) merchants within the school community. On a monthly basis, purchases are made from more than one hundred (100) merchants.

The evaluation of the purchasing policy is ongoing by the Board of Education, with a minimum of one review annually. The operations policy of the Board of Education in regard to purchasing is based on Kansas statutes which define purchasing procedures that must be followed by all unified school districts of Kansas.