3224 - Purchasing

Non-Instructional 

3324 - Purchasing 

The Business Manager, under the supervision and direction of the Superintendent of Schools, is authorized to approve purchases for all goods and services in accordance with the annual budget-spending plan for the Windsor Locks Public School System. The Business Manager shall be responsible for developing and administering the purchase program of the Board, including ordering, verifying receipts of orders, distribution of materials received, and payment of bills. All materials and services will be procured through purchase orders approved by the Business Manager, or Superintendent of Schools. 

The Superintendent of Schools will adopt regulations to accompany this policy setting forth procedures for the efficient procurement of materials, goods, and services required for school operations. Purchasing shall be made in accordance with the regulations and procedures established by the Superintendent. 

Legal References: 

Connecticut General Statutes 

10-248 Payment of School Expenses 

Policy Adopted: December 1995 

Revised: June 2000, October 2019 

R-3324 Purchasing 

This regulation provides guidelines for the purchasing of goods and services for the school system. These regulations are designed to provide the information and procedures to obtain items or services at the lowest cost from responsible suppliers who are able to meet quality standards and acceptable delivery schedules. 

The following procedure shall be followed for the purchasing of goods and services: 

1. For any school expenditure, the Business Manager may approve and direct purchases not to exceed Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($3,500.00) for any one item. 

2. For purchases over Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($3,500.00) and less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), the Business Manager may approve and direct purchases providing that, wherever possible, at least three competitive quotations or prices are secured in the open market. After careful review, the Business Manager may consummate the purchase based on his/her determination of what would be in the best interest of the school system. 

3. For purchases over Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) and less than Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00), the Business Manager may approve and direct purchases providing that, wherever possible, at least three written competitive quotations or prices are secured in the open market. After careful review, the Business Manager may consummate the purchase based on his/her determination of what would be in the best interest of the school system. A record or quotation must be kept on file to correspond with purchases. 

4. All contracts for and purchases of supplies, materials, equipment, contractual services, etc., in excess of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00), unless it is determined by the Board to be against the best interest of the school system, shall be based on competitive sealed bids or proposals (i.e. RFPs) giving at least ten (10) days’ public notice thereof, but publication, at least once in the newspaper and/or on a public Website having major daily exposure or trade journals. The Board of Education shall authorize, by motion, the awarding of such contracts to the lowest responsible bidder or may reject portions of or all bids or proposals as it deems to be in the best interest of the school system. 

5. No purchase shall be made without an authorized purchase order. The Superintendent or Business Manager must sign purchase orders.