Competitive bids and the bid-opening process are the cornerstones of public school purchasing. The bid-opening process does not begin on the day of the bid opening. It begins with good planning by the purchasing agent to ensure that the advertised bid complies with the public school contracts law. In New Jersey, that raises the following…

Describes school purchasing process, examples of illegal or wasteful purchasing activities, a concise ethical guide to school purchasing excerpted from the Texas Agency's Financial Accountability System Resource Guide, and suggestions from experts on how schools can ensure legal and ethical purchasing practices. (PKP)

Michigan has long advocated local control of education, a philosophy that particularly applies to purchasing school buses. To counter adverse legal actions stemming from noncompetitive bidding practices, the Michigan School Business Officials and the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation collaborated to develop a comprehensive,…