JCSD Policy

The procedures for all acquisition of services, supplies and equipment are as follows:

Purchasing Agent

The chief financial officer, or other officer performing the chief financial officer’s functions, is appointed by the Board to serve as purchasing agent. He or she shall be responsible for developing and administering the purchasing program of the district.

The purchasing agent is authorized to issue purchase orders for materials and services without prior approval of the Board when formal bidding procedures are not required and if budget appropriations are adequate to cover the expenditures.

The purchasing agent is authorized to reimburse staff members for approved personal expenditures including travel and tuition.

All contracts to acquire real estate by purchase, lease or rental must be approved by the Board.

The purchasing agent is authorized to enter lease/purchase or rental agreements on behalf of the district when the annual amount is less than $15,000.00 and if budget appropriations are adequate to cover the expenditures. Equipment may be acquired in this manner only if adequate funds are available in appropriate budget categories.

Rules and Authority

All purchase contracts for materials, equipment, supplies, or personal service shall be awarded pursuant to ORS Chapters 279, 279A, 279B and 279C, and OAR Chapter 137 Divisions 046 through 049, and OAR Chapter 125 Divisions 246 through 249, and the Contracting and Purchasing Rules procedural manual adopted by the district. In the event that any of these statutes or rules are modified by proper authority, the rules in effect for current year shall be followed.

The Board is designated as the Local Contract Review Board for the district.

Competitive bids or quotations shall be solicited in connection with purchasing of products or services whenever required. Contracts shall be awarded to the lowest qualified and responsible bidder complying with specifications and with other stipulated bidding conditions. The Board reserves the right to select the items or services determined to be in the best interest of the district or to reject all bids.

All contracts which require public advertising and competitive bidding shall be awarded by decision of the Board. Recommendations for the award of all such contracts shall be submitted to the Board by the superintendent or designee.

Opportunity shall be provided without preference to all qualified and responsible suppliers to do business with the district. To this end the purchasing agent shall maintain records of potential bidders for various types of materials and services. Specifications shall be made available to any supplier upon request.

Residence or place of business shall not be a consideration in selecting a vendor except as indicated by specifications or required by law.

The district purchasing agent should use a responsible local vendor unless an item or service can be secured at a savings through other sources.

Purchases may be made through state contracts or other intergovernmental cooperative purchasing agreements if such purchases are in the best interest of the district.

Cost Center Responsibilities

All items purchased by the district except as provided elsewhere in this policy will be initiated on a purchase requisition. Principals/supervisors will be responsible for setting their own procedures for completion of the requisition within each center and for determining if sufficient funds exist in the appropriate account. Cost center directors are allowed to overexpend specific budget line items providing:

After a principal/supervisor has signed the requisition, all copies will be sent to the purchasing agent in the business office. Upon approval, a purchase order will be issued to the supplier. A copy of the approved purchase order will be returned to the originating center. Upon receipt of the requested merchandise, the accounting department will determine if further action is required prior to making payment. A copy of all requisitions, purchase orders, and invoices will be kept by the business office for two years.

Items commonly used in the various schools or units thereof shall be standardized whenever feasible and if not in conflict with educational goals.

A monthly, or under limited circumstance an annual, purchase order may be issued when the purchasing agent determines the frequency of routine, purchases warrants an open account. Such accounts shall be reviewed periodically by the purchasing agent and closed whenever the need no longer exists.

Principals and department supervisors may establish internal petty cash systems within the limits prescribed by policy DJB- Petty Cash.

Budgeted Expenditures

As a result of information collected during the budget process, the district office may initiate purchasing procedures for selected materials and/or services without the necessity of separate requisitioning from the center, subject to any applicable annual limits and bidding requirements in the district's contracting and purchasing rules, and ORS Chapters 279, 279A, 279B and 279C.

END OF POLICY