Norman Public Schools Compact Purchasing Policy

The Board of Education authorizes the administration to purchase materials supplies, equipment and services for the District. Purchasing procedures will be used to obtain supplies, equipment, materials and services of acceptable quality at the lowest possible price and within acceptable time frames. The following guidelines and procedures will be used for purchasing:

A.  All bids received will be considered. In case of equal bids the local vendor will be given preference.

B.  Employees of Independent School District No. 29 are not permitted to make purchases for personal use through any fund of the District, including the school activity fund.

C.  The Board of Education shall designate employees with authority to make purchases against indicated school appropriations with indicated maximum authority per purchase. ONLY those employees designated by the Board shall have authority to obligate the funds of the District.

D.  As specified in state law, no contract will be made between the District and any member of the Board of Education or any business interest associated with a Board member (Reference: 70 O.S. §5-124).

E.  Board members and/or District employees shall not allow out-of-state travel expenses for non-school related activities to be paid for or provided by a vendor or a potential vendor.

F.  Employees of contractors used by the District shall be subject to state statutes regarding convictions of felony offenses (70 O.S. §S-104.48). Contractors will be required to sign a statement declaring that no employee working on school premises is currently registered under the provision of the Oklahoma Sex offenders Registration Act. Felony searches may be conducted in accordance with state statute (70 O.S. §5-142).

G.  The District may join a cooperative buying group in order to obtain access to group pricing. Such membership may not be used to satisfy statutory requirements for the procurement of goods or services by competitive bid (70 O.S> §5-117(12).

Purchasing Procedures

The purchasing procedures are applicable to all district activities including those involving activity funds. The procedures apply to expenditures for construction or for purchase of materials, supplies, equipment or services, as set forth in 70 O.S. §5-123, and 61 O.S. §101-137.

A.  Areas of Authority

     1.  Board of Education

          The Board of Education shall approve Board operating policies defining the area and scope of operations of the purchasing system. In addition to this, they shall:

          a.  Give prior approval for expenditure for one specific item or multiple of the same item in excess of $50,000.
          b.  Give approval for routine annual expenditure prior to the issuance of the specific purchase orders involved. This would include but not be limited to recurring annual expenditures such as textbooks and testing.
          c.  Accept those purchase orders, which are presented on a monthly basis. The business cycle cut-off date shall be the close of business on the Monday preceding the regular monthly Board meeting.
          d.  Review audits by competent outside authorities to assure compliance with established Board policies related to purchasing.
          e.  Refer questions or inquiries pertaining to the Purchasing Department by interested persons to the Chief Financial Officer or the Director of Purchasing Services.
          f.  Question specific situations brought to their attention to secure adequate factual explanations of circumstances surrounding the purchasing, receipt of materials and supplies, services and equipment required by the District.

Exemptions from Bidding Requirements
 

Every effort should be made to obtain the best quality of goods and services at the lowest possible price. Due to the unique nature of some goods and services, the following goods and services are exempt from bidding requirement:  professional services, including but not limited to audit services; legal services; employment services; drug and alcohol testing; professional consultation services; extermination services; travel services including airfare, hotel accommodations, etc.; specialty repair or service contracts; maintenance agreements; textbooks, student workbooks, library/media materials, educational and training videos; software upgrades and specialized source software; staff training classes and catering events; unique artwork for projects (excluding signage); yearbooks and student photos; provision of infrastructure as a service; rental of used equipment.

Additional exemptions include goods purchased for student activity fundraisers (e.g. candy, T-shirts, candles, etc.); expenses for graduation, prom, dances, and other student social activities; unique and custom decorations purchased from student activity funds and used for student events (e.g. prom, graduation, etc.); testing and assessment material; items purchased with funding from NPS Foundation grants where item was specifically approved by the NPS Foundation with the grant application; purchases of fuel. 

Price quotes on one item (or multiples of that item) are required at specific dollar thresholds as follows:

Travel Reimbursements

If an employee is given prior approval by his/her supervisor and the appropriate departmental administrator to attend a conference, meeting or seminar as an official representative of the District, travel, meals, lodging and registration fee may be considered an expense. The availability of funds will determine if employees will be reimbursed for such expenses. The proper expense form must be completed and supplied to the employee's immediate supervisor within ten (10) days after returning from the trip.

Sole Source Procurements

 Sole Source procurements shall be exempt from bidding provided the following criteria are met:

A.  The goods or services are unique to one manufacturer/supplier and no form/fit/function replacement exists from another supplier.

B.  The manufacturer distributes it directly or has limited distribution to one supplier. 

C.  The manufacturer (not the distributor) submits a written letter on company letterhead stating why the goods or services are unique to his company and that distribution is limited to himself or a sole distributor. This letter must be attached to the requisition.

D.  Sole Source procurements may also be allowed where compatibility of equipment, accessories, or replacement parts are of paramount consideration. Documentation of such shall be included with the requisition.